Patrick Nagel "The Book" Poster vs Patrick Nagel Commemorative #15 Poster

Buy the 1981 "The Book" offset lithograph if you want the original Nagel poster image as it first appeared, in a large 36 x 24 inch format. Buy the 1986 Commemorative #15 serigraph if you want a numbered, screenprinted piece from a defined edition of 5,000 with a gallery certificate. The serigraph is the more collectible object: screenprinting gives denser, flatter color fields and the edition number ties it to a fixed run. The 1981 lithograph is the more iconic single image and is widely recognized, but it is an open commercial print with no stated edition size. Both are unframed paper; condition matters more than age for either.

• Choose the 1981 "The Book" lithograph if you want Nagel's best-known image in a large format and don't need a numbered edition.
• Choose the Commemorative #15 serigraph if you want a numbered, screenprinted piece from a documented edition with a certificate.