Winold Reiss was a brilliant graphic designer
whose ability to fuse line and color in spectacular magazine
covers, posters, calendars, and advertisements, as well as
in packaging design, enabled him to support himself throughout
his life from his commercial work. Educated in graphic design
at the Munich School of Applied Arts (Kunstgewerbeschule),
Reiss came to the United States with the express intention
of teaching America the ways in which explosive color could
revolutionize commercial design. From his earliest beginnings
in the pages of the Modern Art Collector (which he
helped to launch in 1915) to the murals and interior design
for the Longchamps Restaurant in Washington, D.C., in the
early 1950s, Reiss brought not only color but also a sure
and eye-catching graphic sense to all that he produced. His
work—as demonstrated by his covers for Survey Graphic
magazine and his calendars for the Great Northern Railway—fused
modernism with a sympathetic realism that epitomized the artistic
trends of his day. As was the case with Andy Warhol, Reiss's
training and work in commercial design informed his so-called
fine art, making it easy to reproduce in the print media.
His work, specifically aimed at commercial consumption, shows
a freedom of composition, a vivacious use of color, and a
confidence in execution that makes these prints, drawings,
and graphic designs some of his best work.—JCS
The images that follow are grouped in categories.
Unless noted otherwise, works are from various private collections,
some through the courtesy of owners who wish to remain anonymous.
Clicking on a thumbnail will take you to an enlarged view
of the image and a more detailed description.
Book
& Magazine Design and Illustration -
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Survey Graphic,
March 1925
Scribner's Magazine, December 1915
Opportunity February 1925
Modern Art Collector, Vol.1, no. 2, October 1915
Modern Art Collector, Vol. 1, no. 4, December 1915
