Is it Nagel’s widow, Jennifer Dumas?

Is it Nagel’s widow, Jennifer Dumas?

 The simple answer is no. 

The model is Jeana Tomasino. Nagel created many images with Jeana. He enjoyed using the same models again & again. I have mentioned her before, but a reminder she is best known as the ZZ top video queen for “Legs” & as Playboy Playmate of the Month, November 1980.

On top left is the “Jeana” Acrylic on canvas, 1983. The dimensions: 40” x 25”. Signed & dated 1983 lower right. It is up for auction at Heritage Auctions with an estimate of $60,000-$80,000. I expect it to far exceed their estimate. The auction takes place in Dallas on October 16th.
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On right is posthumous Nagel print copyright 1990 Dumas. It is labeled NAGP95, but I am guessing in confusion resellers put Dumas in the titles to sell the open edition print & new collectors over time assumed it was Nagel’s widow Jennifer. It baffles me it has taken on such legend! Probably mostly known as “Arms Crossed,” but it has many other titles such as “The Dumas poster”, “Jennifer Arms Crossed.” It is 100% not Nagel’s widow, Jennifer Dumas. However, the mythology lives on. So hopefully now everyone reading will simply call her “Jeana” or “Jeana, arms crossed!”

To create more confusion Jennifer Dumas, possibly showing her humorous side, decided to unilaterally rename the image “Phoenix” in 1993 and released a very small lithograph version of it again in a series with Lipman Publishing. Most are tiny at 8” x 10” and truly not worth the bother.  Pass! The series includes images that are cropped, have major color changes from Nagel’s direction and again I must add are all simply posthumous! None of these mentions in my post, with the exception of course of Nagel’s stunning original on canvas, is a collectable piece of any monetary value. Purchase for image enjoyment only.  And forever now lets give Jeana her credit!