IF Worlds of Science Fiction January 1954 Underwater City Cover

Likely the work of artist Fages, whose signature appears lower center, this vivid gouache cover for IF magazine depicts a sprawling undersea civilization with illuminated dome cities, sleek submarine-like craft firing searchlight beams, and schools of fish swimming among futuristic architecture. The palette of teal, amber, and deep ocean green exemplifies Atomic Age optimism about humanity's conquest of the deep sea, rendered with the confident, sweeping compositional energy typical of 1950s pulp illustration.