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“Like
some of the old
print masters
(Toulouse-Lautrec
and Bonnard, for
example), Nagel
was influenced by
the Japanese
woodblock print,
with figures
silhouetted
against a neutral
background, with
strong areas of
black and white,
and with bold
line and unusual
angles of view.
He handled colors
with rare
originality and
freedom; he
forced
perspective from
flat,
two-dimensional
images; and he
kept simplifying,
working to get
more across with
fewer elements.
His simple and
precise imagery
is also
reminiscent of
the art-deco
style of the
1920s and 1930s-
with its sharp
linear treatment,
geometric
simplicity, and
stylization of
form.”
Elena G. Millie
former curator of the poster collection
at the Library of Congress.
A phenomenally
successful
commercial artist
and painter,
Nagel’s
work ranged over
the spectrum of
media
illustration,
advertising,
print magazine
illustration, and
even record
albums. His cover
for Duran
Duran’s
double-platinum Rio was
a sensation. His
work retains a
strong influence
on 21st century
illustration and
digital
photography.
Nagel’s legacy is iconic in two ways:
The
paper-white skin
of a ‘Nagel
Woman’ with
a minimum of
shaping strokes
and unusual color
perspectives, and
the eyes... a
mirroring depth
of shape framed
with a squared
outside line.
Patrick Nagel died in 1984 at the age of 38.
— Danin Adler
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