Perspective drawing of painted design of Mack delivery truck ‘Ruppert Beer Ale’ 1935

This is Winold Reiss’s perspective drawing of a Ruppert Beer Ale delivery truck. It's hard to pin down the date, but it gives you that wonderful feeling of a specific time; looking at it, I immediately feel like I’m in a black and white movie! Here, the sharp delineation of line defines the form of the truck in the photograph, but it's the textures that give it that punch. Look at how Reiss gives weight to the vehicle through the heavy, precise lines around the wheels and body. You can almost hear the squeak of the tires. But then there's this funny thing: there is a tonal range, even in what appears to be a limited palette. The side of the truck has a totally different feel. I mean, the drawing almost looks like a painting! Anyway, you can really tell the artist had a ball with this, it really shows off his versatility as an artist. Artists like Stuart Davis are evoked when I see these kinds of images. It just goes to show you art history is one big conversation.