For over 4 a long time, the identification of the enigmatic girl gracing the quilt of Duran Duran’s 1982 album ‘Rio’ remained one of popular culture’s enduring mysteries. This hanging picture, created by the late artist Patrick Nagel, has now been definitively linked to a real-life muse. By way of meticulous analysis by Nagel historian and artwork dealer Monica Moynihan, and with affirmation from Nagel knowledgeable Mark Walker, it has been revealed that the mannequin is Marcie Hunt, a reputation beforehand unknown to Duran Duran followers and the broader public alike.
In a latest Instagram put up, Moynihan shared that the reference picture for the album cowl was sourced from a February 1981 subject of Vogue Paris. Walker, whereas perusing classic style magazines, stumbled upon an editorial unfold that includes Hunt. Regardless of the mannequin carrying glasses within the journal picture, her distinctive smile and eyes matched these immortalized on the ‘Rio’ cowl. Walker described his realization with palpable pleasure, stating, “I noticed that smile. I noticed these eyes, these eyes that I’d stared at a whole bunch of occasions by this level in my life, a whole bunch if not 1000’s of occasions. I’ve been entranced by this magical girl for over 40 years. I knew it was her.”
View this put up on Instagram
Additional corroboration got here from Barry Kahn, Patrick Nagel’s former technical artwork assistant, who confirmed Hunt because the mannequin, praising Walker’s discovery as a “nice catch.”
Marcie Hunt, now a vineyard proprietor in Napa, California, responded with astonishment to this revelation. On her personal Instagram, she expressed her shock and delight, recounting how “Rio” had been part of her life since its launch, even taking part in at her wedding ceremony three a long time in the past. “I’m amazed that after 42 years, I’m additionally ‘Rio’ on the well-known album cowl for Duran Duran within the early 80s. I like Duran Duran, and Tom and I had a DJ play ‘Rio’ at our wedding ceremony—now nearly 31 years in the past,” Hunt shared, reflecting on her unrecognized iconic standing.
Duran Duran, themselves, had been stunned by the information. They shared Walker’s Instagram put up with an ecstatic “WOW!” on their official account, although they’ve but to make a proper assertion. The band’s connection to the album stays sturdy, with “Rio” that includes hits like ‘Hungry Just like the Wolf’ and ‘Save a Prayer.’ The album considerably contributed to their international fame, resulting in their induction into the Rock and Roll Corridor of Fame in 2022 and the discharge of their sixteenth studio album, ‘Danse Macabre,’ in October 2023.
Patrick Nagel, whose art-deco pop-art type that includes dark-haired girls grew to become iconic within the early Nineteen Eighties, tragically handed away in 1984 on the age of 38, forsaking a legacy that continues to affect and captivate. This latest identification of Marcie Hunt not solely solves a long-standing thriller but additionally pays homage to Nagel’s creative imaginative and prescient, reaffirming the enduring attract of his work and its cultural impression.
This discovery is greater than only a curious footnote within the annals of music historical past; it’s a testomony to the lasting impression of artwork and its potential to attach with audiences throughout generations. The face of “Rio,” now identified, continues to bop within the imaginations of followers outdated and new, embodying the colourful spirit of the Nineteen Eighties that Duran Duran so masterfully captured.
Different POP! tales that you just would possibly like:
Followers name out SM Leisure for allegedly utilizing AI pictures for Crimson Velvet’s comeback
‘Strawberry Full Moon’ to grace the skies through the Summer season solstice
Ariana Grande addresses voice change since ‘Depraved’ position
Followers and critics react to Taylor Swift’s viral dance video with comparisons to Salman Khan
