Nelson Jungbluth
The Artist and the Genius
Growing up in the era of big and fancy travel agencies, it was inevitable to be captivated by the beautiful promotional posters hanging on their walls. Before online bookings and mobile apps, travel agencies had giant glass windows, scale models hanging from the ceiling, and those beautiful posters that lined the walls. And I have to say, the Varig posters were something else.
Bold, colourful, full of life, they didn’t just sell tickets, they sold the promise of adventure. Behind these gems was Nelson Jungbluth, the creative brain of Varig’s advertising department. He wasn’t just an illustrator, he was a visionary, an artist who helped shape the visual identity of Varig, Brazil’s beloved flagship airline, during its most iconic years.
Nelson Jungbluth
Born in 1921 in Taquara, in the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, Jungbluth grew up surrounded by cameras and creativity. His parents were photographers, so you could say visual storytelling was in his blood. He started illustrating in his teens, picking up freelance work with a local furniture company, sketching designs and putting together ads.
At 18, Jungbluth packed up and headed to Rio de Janeiro to chase the dream of becoming a comic book artist. He landed a gig at Suplemento Juvenil, and later moved on to O Guri, two of the most influential comic magazines in Brazil back then.
O Guri and Suplemento Juvenil
Then his big break happened in 1946, when he joined Varig’s advertising team and began shaping a look that was bold, modern, and unmistakably Brazilian. A few years later, he took a detour into commercial advertising with the firm Standard Propaganda, but he kept taking on side projects for the airline. In 1952, he entered a national Varig poster contest and took third place. That recognition brought him back to the airline full-time in 1954, where he stayed until 1974.
Before Jungbluth came on board, Varig’s calendars and posters were mostly photographies. They were beautiful for sure, but not quite unforgettable. When he took charge of the airline’s Art Department, he brought in vibrant, hand-drawn illustrations that rivalled the best from Pan Am, BOAC, or Air France.
One of his most impressive contributions was turning Varig’s posters and calendars into collectible works of art. These weren’t your standard promo handouts. They were printed as serigraphs, a silk-screen method that was pretty avant-garde at the time, but gave the calendars stunning texture and colour depth. People didn’t just glance at them, they kept them, framed them, admired them.
Colourfulness and vibrancy was always part of Jungbluth’s posters
The Rosa dos Ventos
And let’s not forget the Rosa dos Ventos, that gorgeous Compass Rose that became the hallmark of Varig’s visual identity. Jungbluth designed it in 1954, though it didn’t start appearing on the aircraft until 1961. But once it did, it was everywhere. Tail fins, ticket jackets, ads, etc. The Rosa dos Ventos became a symbol of elegance in motion, and a central piece of Varig’s global branding strategy.
Rosa dos ventos sketches
Rosa dos ventos and logo final version
Afterwards, like many greats of his era, he decided to pivot his career and became a full-time artist. His exhibitions traveled from Porto Alegre to major galleries abroad, but he still found time to design the occasional poster, calendar or commemorative pieces for certain events and companies.
Jungbluth’s work captures everything that made the Jet Age so magical. So if you come across a vintage Varig calendar or poster, stop and take it in. You’re looking at the work of a man who helped Brazil’s wings take flight in the most beautiful way possible.
References
Varig Experience (https://varigexperience.com.br/)
Guion Cinemas, Brazil, article dedicated to Nelson Jungbluth biography, 2016
As identidades visuais da VARIG ̶ Viação Aérea Riograndense, SCHERER, Fabiano de Vargas; Dr
Nelson Jungbluth’s work legacy by Rudinei Picinini for Medium, 2020
Nelson Jungbluth by Mario De Albuquerque for A grande familia Varig, 2023
Image credits
Varig Experience (https://varigexperience.com.br/)
Mateus Bruxel / Agencia RBS
Komickaziinternational @ Flickr (https://www.flickr.com/people/komickaziinternational/)
If you own any of the visual material displayed on this article and I haven’t mentioned it, please let me know to include it.
