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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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