Sketch for oval medallion and ‘Ruppert Beer’ blue and silver logo 1935

Winold Reiss made this drawing for an oval medallion with a blue and silver logo, possibly for Ruppert Beer. I imagine him, carefully building up this design with blue and silver paint—a study in precision! The color palette is pretty simple, a bright royal blue and a muted silver gray. I love the combination of those vertical stripes with the curves of the central oval, it reminds me a little bit of Sonia Delaunay, but much more graphic. It’s as if Reiss is playing with ideas about labels, logos, and corporate art—a real question in commercial art. I wonder what he was thinking about when he made this? I sympathize with Reiss's attempt to capture the fleeting essence of a design. It's a conversation across time, inspiring creativity in design for logos, brands, and labels.