Untitled, 1984 (left), Untitled, 1983 (right).

DALLAS — Two lovely and sultry women beckoned bidders to Heritage Auctions on October 12, when one of the most popular American artists of the Twentieth Century claimed the top two lots in Heritage’s illustration art auction. Numerous bidders drove the final sale price for Patrick Nagel’s (1945–1984) untitled, 1984, to $162,500, and a half a dozen collectors bid on Nagel’s untitled, 1983, until it closed at $137,500. Each more than doubled its auction high estimate.

Acrylic-on-canvas paintings continue a surge in demand among serious collectors for works by Nagel, whose artistic style descends from Art Deco. Nagel’s signature style often includes bold images of dark-haired women with gleaming white skin and full red lips. His works have appeared in numerous publications, including Playboy magazine, which regularly printed his illustrations. He also earned a measure of notoriety for designing the cover of Duran Duran’s best-selling Rio album. Prices, with buyer’s premium, as reported by the auction house. A full review of the auction will appear in a future issue.