Although the once-popular limited-edition prints of Patrick Nagel seem to be perpetually stuck in the 80′s, I can’t help but feel a soft spot for his memorable Pop Art style. Upon doing some research, it was disheartening to discover that Nagel died way too young at the age of 38 of a heart attack after appearing in a celebrity aerobics “aerobathon” for the American Heart Association. Wow, how fitting is that (considering his prints often featured jet black-haired women in sporty Flashdance tops and headbands)…

Famous for his Duran Duran Rio album cover, Nagel got his start in the 70s sketching Playboy babes (much like Alberto Vargas) — and doing commercial work, including this handsome Ballantine Scotch movie tie-in ad for The Great Gatsby, which is now up for auction at EMoviePoster. So whatever you think of Nagel’s work, it is undeniable that the man’s designs defined his time.