On offer is an original illustration used for the cover of a paperback edition for The Hour of the Wolf by American author Patricia Calver. The story for young adults was first published in 1983 and deals with the adventures of a 17-year-old boy, named Jake. With little prior experience, Jake takes on the Iditarod, the grueling dogsled race from Anchorage to Nome, Alaska. Underlying the narrative are themes of perseverance and of the strengthening of character.

Ben F. Stahl (b. 1932) was born in Chicago, Illinois. He is the eldest son of American illustrator Ben A. Stahl (1910-1987). Ben F. Stahl grew up with illustration, but never took a formal art training. Nevertheless, he is an excellent teacher. For various periods between 1955 and 1970, he taught at the Famous Artists Schools, Bridgeport University, and at the Ringling School of Art in Sarasota, Florida. Since the 1970s, Stahl has dedicated himself to his illustration career. He is particularly well known for his illustrations of young people. His art has been commissioned by most of the major publishers, including Houghton, Mifflin; Little, Brown; Putnam, Coward, McCann and Geoghegan; Random House; Scribner's; The Franklin Library; Limited Editions Book Club; Bantam Books; Reader's Digest; Warner Publishing; and Holt, Rinehart and Winston. Presently, he lives in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada.

Source: The Illustrator in American 1880-1980