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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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