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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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