Winold Reiss

Biography

Winold Reiss (1886–1953) was a German-born American painter, illustrator, graphic designer and muralist. Born on September 16, 1886, in Karlsruhe, Germany, he studied art in Munich before immigrating to the United States in 1913.

Reiss became famous for his portraits of Native Americans, particularly the Blackfeet people of Montana. He also painted African Americans, Mexican people and other ethnic communities. His portraits played an important role in documenting the cultural diversity of early 20th-century America.

He was also closely connected with the Harlem Renaissance, creating portraits for publications and for Alain Locke's influential book The New Negro. Among his students was artist Aaron Douglas.

As a designer, Reiss created magazine illustrations, advertisements, posters and commercial interiors. One of his most notable achievements was the Art Deco murals at Cincinnati Union Terminal, completed in 1933. He also taught mural painting at New York University.

Winold Reiss died in New York City in 1953. He is remembered as an important American modernist whose work combined portraiture, graphic design and decorative art while celebrating America's cultural diversity.