English auction house sells Hitler paintings (29 September 2006)
English auction house sells Hitler paintings (29 September 2006) compiled by Sandra Ruffer
Watercolours attributed to Adolf Hitler were auctioned on Tuesday for thousends of pounds.This unusual auction took place in a small Cornish village called Lostwithiel. Jeffery Auctioneers had provided security presence but did not expect any serious problems. There was just a brief interruption caused by two men who started shouting after the sale of the first thirteen paintings. The auction brought in £118,000 for the works.
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| one of the paintings attributed to Hitler; image held here |
The controversial auction of the paintings attracted worldwide interest, but one-hundred-percent authenticity for the pictures could not been given. Although the watercolours are thought to be Hitlers' work,s because they are singed 'A Hitler' or 'AH', they still might be forgeries. It is true that the style of the works is very similar to other by the Nazi dictator.
The twenty-one paintings mostly show landscapes and buildings, and vary from postcard-size to 25 cm x 20 cm.
According to Jeffery Auctioneers, an elderly woman from Belgium contacted them and offered the paintings for sale. She had stored them in a suitcase for 70 years. The place where they were found is close to where Hitler served during First World War. It is believed that Hitler created hundreds of paintings during his time of unemployment in 1914 and during breaks from the front in the First World War. Despite his efforts, he was turned down by the Academy of Art in Vienna. Nevertheless, he was able to sell some of his drawings through a Jewish dealer, ironically enough.
Selling Hitler's works and other items related to the Nazis is a very controversial issue even today. In many European countries, including Germany, it is illegal to sell, buy or own items related to the Nazi regime. Usually, buyers of Hitler paintings are private collectors.
PS: Are dictators drawn to painting? We reported recently on a sale of artworks attributed to the 'generalissimo', Franco - see here . And Churchill, admittedly not a dictator, was a compentent painter.
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