nagelite's Blog

Happy Birthday Pat! You would have been 64 on Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Happy Birthday Pat!  You would have been 64 on Wednesday, November 25, 2009.  You would have likely been thinking about retiring in a few years had you not passed at 38. 

It was not the Vietnam War that killed you, jumping out of an airplane high above combat, it was something much closer to home: your lifestyle and your own body.  We who are middle aged and beyond can relate.  While so many of us were kids when we were admiring your work, we have grown older too and have realized our own mortality.  Your fate is all too real. 

How time flies.  While you may have been concerned about growing old, or at least growing old before your time, you are now a grandfather.  Wherever you are, you are remembered and missed.  Happy Birthday!

Re: BREAKING NEWS -- More originals being auctioned from the Martignette collection

Here is a "teaching moment" for all who are interested in the process of putting together prints.  Go to "The Actual Art" section and turn to the "Playboy Nagel in 90s" subsection.  Nagel-Angel kindly posted a photo of the print commonly referred to as "Cascade."   You will note that "Cascade" is actually a cropped version of the third piece listed above.

On another note, Heritage has once again placed conservative auction estimates on all of the above paintings.  The last time the third and fourth paintings went up to auction, they were sold in the $4000s exclusive of buyer premiums. 

So -- If you are interested in bidding, know that it is highly unlikely that any of the Nagel paintings will go for the $2000 estimate placed on them. 

Re: I need to find information on 3 prints my friend discovered recently...help please?

Hi Lilvalbug!

Welcome.  I think Andy probably gave you some pretty good information about these prints.  They were printed after Patrick Nagel's death by Playboy.  Most of the prints people have were printed posthumously in large numbers.  Interestingly, the Playboy "Classic Visions" collection arose from some bitter litigation between the Nagel estate and Playboy over the rights to these images. 

Take care, and thanks for posting.

Re: BREAKING NEWS -- More originals being auctioned from the Martignette collection

BREAKING NEWS -- More originals being auctioned from the Martignette collection

More original paintings are being auctioned at Heritage Auction on October 20, 2009.  These are all from the collection of the late Charles Martignette.  The first two are new to the auction market.  The last two were auctioned a few years previous at B1 Gallery in Santa Monica, CA:
 
http://fineart.ha.com/common/view_item.php?Sale_No=7016&Lot_No=96208
 
http://fineart.ha.com/common/view_item.php?Sale_No=7016&Lot_No=96207#Photo
 
http://fineart.ha.com/common/view_item.php?Sale_No=7016&Lot_No=96209#Photo
 
http://fineart.ha.com/common/view_item.php?Sale_No=7016&Lot_No=96206
 

Re: Original paintings and unusual images you just do not see

Here is a Playboy image from 1978.  It is apparently for sale too:

Re: Parodies (If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery . . . )

Nice use of line and color!

Re: The Intel Collection

These prints look a lot like stained glass in a church. Did Nagel ever work in glass cutting?

-guest_guest

Dear guest,

My thoughts exactly.  To my knowledge, Nagel was never a glass cutter.  However, he was inspired by PreRaphaelite artists who did work in stained glass, such as William Morris. 

You can see how lines and colors give a sense of depth rather than shading in this canvas by Morris:

Re: Original paintings and unusual images you just do not see

Mike, 

It never ceases to amaze me what new finds bubble to the surface.  The Valentino image is A+++++ work.  It makes me wonder where the original guache went.   (Hmmm.   I am going to have to go off  on another Nagel hunt.  ;-D  )

Re: The Intel Collection

You all are amazing.  I have not seen some of these images before.  Here are a couple of others that have similarities with the work shared by TheSeatedMan.

Re: Welcome Message to New Members

It is good to be back here after a crazy couple of months.

So many new people have joined since I last posted. I want to personally welcome Andy, Mmmike, Pin-up-boy, Bemews, Daqcraig, Assigaroramit, Fotolecob, Joey32555, Peterk, Jim, Stgypsy7 and Liluadc to the forums. You have made some amazing posts, and shared some amazing images.

Thank you, and welcome!

The Intel Collection

Believe it or not, Intel has a Museum.  Stored in its vault and not on display to the general public is what is undoubtedly the largest collection of original paintings by Patrick Nagel. 

That's right.  Playboy does not have nearly the number or quality of the paintings in Intel's collection.  I probably could have fit this topic under "Commercial Illustrations" or "Original Works," but the size of the group (probably about 70 original pieces) suggests that a separate topic be opened.

To start, here is my favorite image of the collection:

Re: agel set of four

Hi Peterk!

Yes, there is value in the prints.  They were printed in Pat's lifetime, and they are of limited quantity.

For the last 15 years, the market for all things Nagel has waned.  There are many reasons for this, but one that comes principally to mind is that his work is identified with a fairly recent period of time that is not quite cool yet.  Prints have faired the worst as far as pricing goes. 

However,  what goes down will come up again.  When your daughter is ready to do it, have the prints archivally mounted and keep them out of sunlight.  I am glad she enjoys them!  They were one of Pat's earliest commissions, so they are special within his body of work.

Re: agel set of four

Welcome to the forum, Peterk!

Ah, the ITT Cannon Suite. Yes, those are familiar and beautiful prints. I believe they are seen in the first four images on this site: http://www.ginaart.org/artist_detail.php?idar=866258588

This is more information than you requested, but after Pat's death the ITT Cannon Suite prints eventually gave birth to protracted lawsuits that continue to remain important precedent in copyright law.  http://altlaw.org/v1/cases/452043

Hold onto those prints. They will be a nice gift to your daughter some day!

Re: Original paintings and unusual images you just do not see

Yes, that is a print done by Samper Silkscreen.  I recall that it went out of business around 2002 - 2003.  I really do not recall the specific date.  Lots of treasures to be found in the files, including a printers proof of Seated Man! 

With no contrary information, the gallery's belief that your print was unique was a reasonable one insofar as there was no record of any other printers proofs in published material.

Re: Original paintings and unusual images you just do not see

Hello Seatedman 2! 
 
Your printer's proof is a good lesson of an omission in the book, the "Art of Patrick Nagel."  You will note that there are no printers proofs listed for this print. 
 
I know of one other printers proof that emerged as Samper Silkscreen was shutting its doors.  Until today, I thought that was possibly the only printers proof around.  Now I know that at least one other was sold in 1987.
 
There are definitely more APs than PPs of any Nagel image.  I cannot tell you how many of any particular print that were done insofar as Nagel never numbered his APs or PPs (other artists often do number both series). 
 
Thanks for sharing this print with us!

Re: Process (the nuts and bolts of Nagel's work)

After considering the comments made by the Budweiser executives, Pat Nagel completed the five ink and guache drawings which he submitted back to his young ad exec,  The guaches were photographed and slightly reduced by about 82%.

Thereafter, at the behest of the client, Carefullly Reviewed Appended Print (known by its acronym C.R.A.P.) was overlayed onto the masters shot from the guaches. (illus. 2, 4, and 6) Lots of C.R.A.P. was liberally applied to the artwork before it was shot and distributed to college students across America in the Spring of '83.
 
 

Re: Nagel Original Coming Up for Auction!!! BREAKING NEWS

Update:  The painting did very well considering the state of the market.  It sold for $8,664.00 which is close to the recent auction record for the painting sold at Bonhams & Butterfields.

Re: I have this print that advertises "The Book"

Hey Joey!  Thanks for posting and welcome to the site.   We are happy to answer any questions you may have.

Re: In Memoriam: Charles Martignette, collector extraordinaire

Like a great icon, Martignette and his illustration art collection continue to generate buzz.  Today, Associated Press released the following article nationally about the "quirky collector."  That said, referring to Martignette as the "quirky collector" is akin to referring to Itzhak Perlman as "the crippled violinist."  Martignette was unique in the history of American illustration art and pin-up art, not only enjoying his collection, but also writing extensively about the subject so that we can all appreciate the work.

I still consider it sad that this great collection is being broken apart and scattered.

By JAMIE STENGLE – 14 hours ago

 
DALLAS (AP) — Charles Martignette's love of illustration art had largely gone unseen, an incredible collection tucked away in storage rooms and a sprawling warehouse before his death. But as auctioneers prepare for an expected $20 million sale, thousands of pieces of art — from scantily clad pinup girls to wholesome works by Norman Rockwell — will come out of the dust.
Martignette's roughly 4,300 pieces of art will be up for bidding during a series of auctions at Heritage Auction Galleries in Dallas beginning Wednesday, just more than a year after he died at age 57. Auctions will continue over the next two years with some pieces expected to draw tens of thousands of dollars each.

"He was at the very forefront of collecting this type of material. He was very quirky, very eccentric, but he was also very clever. What he ended up with was the very best examples," said Edward Jaster, Heritage's vice president.

Martignette collected art, often oil paintings, that was transformed by printers to illustrate everything from the covers of magazines like the Saturday Evening Post to calendars and paperback books. Much of his collection came from the "golden age" of art illustration, roughly the 1910s through the 1950s.

Among the highest valued pieces is Joseph Christian Leyendecker's oil painting of a soldier recounting his war story for two children. It became a Saturday Evening Post cover in 1919, and is expected to sell for $50,000 to $70,000.

Gil Elvgren's 1962 painting of a woman smiling sweetly as she poses on a bearskin rug in a black lace negligee could woo between $30,000 and $40,000. A Dean Cornwell oil painting depicting a sea captain and his crew inspecting a treasure became a Cosmopolitan illustration and could fetch $40,000 to $60,000.

"What Charles hoarded away was the best," Jaster said. Todd Hignite, consignment director at Heritage, added: "It's no exaggeration to say this is the most important collection of illustration art ever to be offered."

Friends paint Martignette — often with the word "character" — as a relentless art hunter, night owl and thrift store shopper. A photograph from the 1980s shows him in his home, clad in leather pants with a chain around his neck, paintings hanging from floor to ceiling behind him.

Martignette grew up in Massachusetts and moved to Hallandale, Fla., as an adult and began collecting illustration art in the 1970s. Not many others were seeking out the art at the time, but Martignette was relentless in trying to find it.

"He was like a private investigator. He would do genealogy research and track down family members," said Jim Halperin, co-chairman of Heritage who first met Martignette at a coin show when they were teenagers.

Martignette spent his entire life dealing in art, selling off lesser pieces to finance bigger purchases. Despite the value of his collection, he lived modestly and bought clothes at thrift stores, said friend and business partner Louis K. Meisel.

"He was as cheap as anybody you ever met," said Meisel, who has an art gallery in New York City and negotiated art deals for Martignette. The pair collaborated on two books: "The Great American Pin-Up" and "Gil Elvgren: All His Glamorous American Pin-Ups."

Martignette was nocturnal, working from 10 p.m. till 8 a.m. and then sleeping into the afternoon. He filled a 2,500-square foot warehouse in Hallandale with row upon row of art, packing it to the top of the 20-foot high ceiling. He also took over room after room in an art storage warehouse in Miami and packed full two condominium apartments — his own and his parents' after they died.
"He couldn't even get to a lot of this stuff," Meisel said.

Martignette's focus was illustration art, but his other collections included airplane models, taxidermy and vanity license plates, Meisel said.

Jaster said that in the 2000s, illustration art began selling for record amounts, with Norman Rockwell's Rosie the Riveter painting sold at Sotheby's for $4.9 million in 2002.

"Now pinup art is being sought after by people in the pop art realm," said Jaster, who believes that the genre appeals to a sense of American history, from sexy pinup girls to heroes with guns blazing.
Martignette, who never married and had no children, suffered a heart attack and died Feb. 3, 2008, said Dr. Edgar Phillips, a longtime friend of Martignette and retired pediatrician.

He did not leave a valid will, so his estate went to relatives, who sold it to a group of private investors who consigned the collection to Heritage, according to the auction house.

Phillips said the illustration art that was Martignette's passion is appealing because it's "all about life."
"He enjoyed what he did as much as you can enjoy anything," Phillips said.

Re: Nagel Original Coming Up for Auction!!! BREAKING NEWS

Actually NA,

I might not be able to edit your original post as I had hoped to replace the photobucked comment.   I would suggest posting the photo using the "insert image" function.   Lefora seems to be cooler than Photobucket about these things.

Nagelite

Re: Nagel Original Coming Up for Auction!!! BREAKING NEWS

Nagel-Angel,

You smut-junkie.  Trying to make Photobucket host your nudies. 

In all seriousness, this is a great find.   I love the images from the "Tomorrow Man" series, and it never dawned on me that this piece coming up for auction borrowed from the male image.

If my memory serves me correctly, the TM series was based upon actual outfits created by top designers to give Playboy readers a look into the new fashion of the approaching 1980s (Remember the Village People song "Are You Ready for the 80s"?  Nagel was.)  It would seem like Pat was liberating women as much as he was blending genders in this painting up for auction, suggesting that a woman could just as easily wear a man's designer outfit as the man himself.

On a related note, an article on Charles Martignette was published nationally, and I will post it in the section concerning his collection.

On another note,  please send me the deleted photo and I will be sure that it gets posted where it belongs.  Thanks NA!!

Re: Parodies (If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery . . . )

Craig Drake, senior designer for Lucas Online, has released another Nagel inspired image titled The Twins. 

[image]

-nagelicious

Wow!  These ladies are stunning.  Drake's sparing use of color really makes the color he does use pop.  His work has a luminosity that reminds me of a stained glass window.

Re: Process (the nuts and bolts of Nagel's work)

Artist Pat Nagel worked closely with the young ad exec on a series of five images that, when brought together, would form one long image of a beer party. Mr. Nagel developed original images for the project, and borrowed from prior images, to form a scene of numerous characters at a beer party, all depicted with the cool, aloof style that was his own.

Finally, he submitted sketches to the ad exec for review (image 5) and approval by the exec and, most importantly, the top brass at Budweiser.

Budweiser loved the women, but the men in the sketches were a little "too pretty." They needed to be extra butch. (After all, these guys should be looking for action, and Budweiser should be there to help them get it!) One of the male characters should be looking "at the girl in the corner -- maybe a little smile on his face." Mr. Nagel was requested to switch characters in two panels -- there were to be no characters of the same sex in any one panel. People might get the wrong idea! (images 6, 7, and 8)

Finally, Pat Nagel was left to create the final images. Stock was ordered (image 9) and a press release was issued by Budweiser, informing college students that "Your taste in art can be as good as your taste in beer with the Budweiser College Art Series. Now you can own this series of fine graphic illustrations by renowned artist Pat Nagle [sic] . . . So look for them in your college newspaper and start your art collection courtesy of The King of Beers." (image 10)

Tomorrow's episode: the series is done! . . . and handed over to Budweiser.

Re: Process (the nuts and bolts of Nagel's work)

This post is as much about process as it is about unseen artwork.  Many have heard of the Nagel Budweiser campaign, but few have seen it.  This posting will hopefully change all that.

This dip into the archives would best be done with a large flatbed scanner. However, the following photographs were taken with a low-tech digital camera and the top of a dryer. So, we will have to make due with our imaginations on this one.

This beer-drinker's tale finds us back in the summer of 1982.  It begins with an advertising executive in the midwest who needs to come up with an ad campaign to reach college-age drinkers to turn them onto Budweiser. Though this project sounds to the lay observer like shooting fish in a barrel, he decides that the campaign must have a classier, upscale image to hook the consumer onto a beverage that he or she can enjoy not just in a frat house, but also in a future house in the suburbs. Instead of appealing to the usual T&A, it would be T&Awith class.

The ad executive knows of the work of an artist out in California by the name of Patrick Nagel who has done extensive work with Playboy. He obtains a porfolio from Mirage (image 1 and 2 below) and the personal business card of the artist (image 3). He calls up Mr. Nagel and explains what he wants to do. Mr. Nagel, an up and coming artist, says "No!" Undaunted by Mr. Nagel's refusal, the ad exec. drafts out a sketch mimicing Mr. Nagel's unmistakable style the best he can (image 4). He further explains to Mr. Nagel that he envisions a series of individual works to be distributed in college papers throughout the country on a serialized basis. Mr. Nagel is hooked. He wants to do the project!