Adolf Hitler, leader of the Nazi Party in Germany in the years leading up to and during World War II, was also a painter. He produced hundreds of works and sold his paintings and postcards to try to earn a living during his Vienna years (1908-13). A number of his paintings were recovered after World War II and have been sold at auctions for tens of thousands of dollars. Others were seized by the U.S. Army and are still held by the U.S. government.
Hitler’s style was very calculated when representing architecture in his paintings. Instead of progressing in his artistic influence, his works copied the artists of the nineteenth century and many of the masters preceding him. He claimed to be the synthesis of many artistic movements but it is clear that he drew primarily from Greco-Roman classicism, the Italian Renaissance, and Neoclassicism. He liked the technical ability of these artists, as well as the understandable symbolism. Rudolf von Alt was his greatest “teacher”, as he called him. There is similar use in color and subject matter between the two, but Alt displays fantastical landscapes giving equal—if not more—attention to nature and the surrounding environment than the architecture.
In his autobiography Mein Kampf, Adolf Hitler described how, in his youth, he wanted to become a professional artist, but his aspirations were ruined because he failed the entrance exam of the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna. Hitler was rejected twice by the institute, once in 1907 and again in 1908. In his first examination, he had passed the preliminary portion; which was to draw two of the assigned iconic or Biblical scenes, in two sessions of three hours each. The second portion was to provide a previously prepared portfolio for the examiners. It was noted that Hitler’s works contained “too few heads”. The institute considered that he had more talent in architecture than in painting. One of the instructors, sympathetic to his situation and believing he had some talent, suggested that he apply to the academy's School of Architecture. However, that would have required returning to secondary school from which he had dropped out and which he was unwilling to do.
Later, when he used to tint and peddle postcards featuring scenes of Vienna, Hitler frequented the artists' cafes in Munich in the unfulfilled hope that established artists might help him with his ambition to paint professionally.
According to a conversation in August 1939 before the outbreak of World War II, published in the British War Blue Book, Hitler told British ambassador Nevile Henderson, "I am an artist and not a politician. Once the Polish question is settled, I want to end my life as an artist."
Hitler’s style was very calculated when representing architecture in his paintings. Instead of progressing in his artistic influence, his works copied the artists of the nineteenth century and many of the masters preceding him. He claimed to be the synthesis of many artistic movements but it is clear that he drew primarily from Greco-Roman classicism, the Italian Renaissance, and Neoclassicism. He liked the technical ability of these artists, as well as the understandable symbolism. Rudolf von Alt was his greatest “teacher”, as he called him. There is similar use in color and subject matter between the two, but Alt displays fantastical landscapes giving equal—if not more—attention to nature and the surrounding environment than the architecture.
In his autobiography Mein Kampf, Adolf Hitler described how, in his youth, he wanted to become a professional artist, but his aspirations were ruined because he failed the entrance exam of the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna. Hitler was rejected twice by the institute, once in 1907 and again in 1908. In his first examination, he had passed the preliminary portion; which was to draw two of the assigned iconic or Biblical scenes, in two sessions of three hours each. The second portion was to provide a previously prepared portfolio for the examiners. It was noted that Hitler’s works contained “too few heads”. The institute considered that he had more talent in architecture than in painting. One of the instructors, sympathetic to his situation and believing he had some talent, suggested that he apply to the academy's School of Architecture. However, that would have required returning to secondary school from which he had dropped out and which he was unwilling to do.
Later, when he used to tint and peddle postcards featuring scenes of Vienna, Hitler frequented the artists' cafes in Munich in the unfulfilled hope that established artists might help him with his ambition to paint professionally.
According to a conversation in August 1939 before the outbreak of World War II, published in the British War Blue Book, Hitler told British ambassador Nevile Henderson, "I am an artist and not a politician. Once the Polish question is settled, I want to end my life as an artist."
bloody bonkers!
ReplyDeletei didn't think that Hitler was as good @ drawing and life capture as what i just seen..bravo..or as the last comment say's bloody bonkers..i'm not sure how to comment on his work though...because of history and all that
ReplyDeleteRead his book that has been banned and attacked with such vigor that no one dares to pick it up, and see that just maybe the history you learned was a big, fat, lie.
Delete👏👏👏✌️✌️
DeleteHistory can just be his-story.
ReplyDeletei really like some of these. it seems a lot of critics have to say EVERYTHING hitler painted was shit.
ReplyDeletehonestly, some of these paintings i'd pick to have in my house over the mona lisa if both had equal value
DeleteIf only someone had taken the time to tell him "Yeah, actually pretty good. Keep at it!"
ReplyDeleteThere is a movie about it. The movie's name is "Max"
DeleteA vast majority of these shocked me when I saw em. I knew Hitler was a painter, but I didn't know he was so good at capturing architecture. These are bloody gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteIn the beginning of 1923 the French invaded Germany, occupied the Ruhr district and seized several German towns in the Rhineland. This was a flagrant breach of international law and was protested against by every section of British political opinion at that time.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful. Not sure all of these are His, though; some of them are unsigned and don't appear to be His style. But ja, the ones that are His are gorgeous. I love Him.
ReplyDeletethey are all signed, you just have to look very closely
Delete👍👋👋👋
Deletei can't believe they rejected him (art school) he dropped out of collage to be a artist and they said no, UNBELIEVABLE!!!
ReplyDelete" When I called on the head of the Academy and asked the reasons why I had
Deletenot been admitted to the School of Painting, he assured me that my drawings showed I had no aptitude for painting and that my true ability was in the field of architecture. The School of Painting was out of the question, but the School of Architecture was for me, even though at first they found it difficult to believe that I had never attended an architectural school or
had any instruction in architecture." -Adolf Hitler
I'm no expert, but I was thinking the same thing. He really should have persued architecture. Most not all of his paintings seem hollow, that's the only way I can describe some of them. He was depressed. His paintings look lonely and depressing.
DeleteWhat's wrong with being an architect? It's an honorable profession and not an easy one. The person was right he would have made a good architect.
DeleteHollow... You suck dick don't you rabbi
DeleteThis is an example of talent gone to waste -- at least mediocre talent but, still, better than 90% of us can do. Its nothing to be sneezed at, even though it is the talent of a mad man.
ReplyDeleteWhat made him the mad man was the drugs he was doing and the evil people he surrounded himself with.
DeleteCool story rabbi
DeleteAH was a great artist ; those bastards who did not let him start his career changed history ; he would have been happy just doing his paintings and there would have been no WW II and most likely no me since he changed all history from that point on ; one can only wonder how different the world would have been had he just been accepted as an artist in 1907 & 1908 ... you see how rejection can cause real problems in this world from that
ReplyDeleteoh, right, all the historical processes that led up to WW2 would've just dissipated into thin air if only old boy Schicklgruber had a successful career as a painter, no doubt about it
DeleteIf you ever want to know what really happened, Watch the documentaries: 'The Greatest Story Never Told,' 'Hellstorm,' and 'Europa.' Only if you want to know the truth, though. All of the history we have been told is LIES.
Deletesurprisingly wide stylistic range...and many of Hitler's paintings are quite good; that devastated c. 1917 French town in particular. But I doubt his art school rejection was that significant: no "institution" could long contain Hitler's dynamic persona and inner demons: he thought he could heal himself by healing Germany und dann das Welt....didn't work though.
ReplyDeleteI reckon his experiences in the WW1 trenches changed him from a guy with talent and promise to a guy who hated what was being done to his adopted Country, a bit like Breivik, he wanted to put things right, the rest is history.
ReplyDeletethey were made by Hitler but that doesnt make them bad pieces of art
ReplyDeleteThese paintings are really well done. I would have no problem hanging these in my home.
ReplyDeleteIs it possible to purchase prints of these? I love them all!
ReplyDeleteI totally agree!
DeleteI want one!
You can get some of them painted from WikiArt: https://www.wikiart.org/en/adolf-hitler
DeleteI really like his work.
ReplyDeleteSo detailed almost to the extreme.
He was definitely more skilled than you hear the average voice say today. But I guess the common belief is to do so.
His mind worked in a special way when you see the resemblance between the structure in his politics and the way he really wants us to know something about his inner life in the art work.
The way it is set up in the overview and richness in the smaller things.