Swimmer ** Patrick Nagel, 1983

"Swimmer" was a grail for me and it took me two years to complete this transaction, but that's another story. He is finally in my home and he is never leaving me.

The story behind the extremely rare illustrations on board:
No, first they are not comprehensives. They are FINAL works meant to be displayed at a gallery show during his Nagel's short life. Nagel would call them "reinterpretations" of painted works he had already created and loved. Nagel didn't sign his prelim drawings on vellum or papers while he was alive as they were never meant to be sold. However, just before his untimely death in February of 1984, he completed a couple major gallery shows. In November of 1983, a solo show was held at Merrill Chase Galleries In Chicago. Nagel practically sold out of all his works. With another an upcoming promised show the next month in December at Dyansen Gallery NYC, Karl Bornstein Nagel's publisher desperately needed more large art for this important show (other than his famous Playboy Anniversary which was released). Nagel and Bornstein decided to create large format fine art pencil drawings on illustration board as Nagel was not able to paint probably another 10 canvases in one month. It is believed he created about 16 of these large format signed drawings in total prior to his death. The drawings were a hit and all sold out at the NY show and he was in process of creating more. This man was shown and sold in New York and brought back to California. I will include in photos the painted acrylic on board that is so famously known from "The Art of Patrick Nagel". That was created prior to this "reinterpretation". As a graphic designer before a fine artist, if Nagel was here today he would tell you he loved to create a drawing more than any other medium. The art is in the drawings. If you are looking for drawings contact me. (This one however is not for sale, thank you). I run PatrickNagelArts on social media and I am probably the largest secondary private broker of Nagel works in the world.

Medium: Pencil on illustration board
Year: 1983
Dimensions
33” x 30”
Signature: Nagel lower right

NFS- Permanent Collection