During his Vienna years (1908–1913), he produced hundreds of artworks, hoping to support himself by selling paintings and postcards. Despite his efforts, he found little commercial success. After World War II, some of his paintings surfaced and fetched tens of thousands of dollars at auctions. Others were seized by the United States Army and remain in U.S. government custody. This article digs into these rare artworks, offering a glimpse into the mind of one of history’s most notorious figures. In his 1925 autobiography, Mein Kampf, Adolf Hitler recounted his youthful aspiration to become a professional artist. However, his dreams were dashed when he failed the entrance exam for the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna. Rejected twice by the institution, once in 1907 and again in 1908, Hitler initially passed the preliminary portion, which required drawing two assigned iconic or Biblical scenes within six hours. Still, his portfolio was criticized for containing too few heads, leading the examiners to suggest he had more aptitude for architecture than painting. One instructor, sympathetic to Hitler’s situation and recognizing some talent, advised him to apply to the academy’s School of Architecture. Unfortunately, this path required returning to secondary school, which Hitler had dropped out of and was unwilling to re-enter. In a conversation with British ambassador Nevile Henderson in August 1939, just before the outbreak of World War II, Hitler revealed, “I am an artist and not a politician. Once the Polish question is settled, I want to end my life as an artist.” From 1908 to 1913, Adolf Hitler made a living by tinting postcards and painting houses. In 1910, at the age of 21, he painted his first self-portrait. This piece, along with twelve other paintings by Hitler, was discovered in 1945 by U.S. Army Sergeant Major Willie J. McKenna in Essen, Germany. During his time in Vienna, Hitler sold many paintings to Samuel Morgenstern, an Austrian businessman. Morgenstern first encountered Hitler in the early 1910s, around 1911 or 1912, when Hitler offered him three paintings. Morgenstern’s meticulous records revealed that most of Hitler’s buyers were Jewish. One notable client, lawyer Josef Feingold, bought several of Hitler’s paintings depicting old Vienna. Hitler’s artistic style was rigid, particularly when depicting architecture. His work often mimicked nineteenth-century artists rather than showcasing original progress. Although he claimed to have founded many artistic movements, his inspirations were largely drawn from Greco-Roman classicism, the Italian Renaissance, and Neoclassicism. He admired these styles for their technical precision and clear symbolism. Hitler regarded Rudolf von Alt as his greatest teacher, as they shared an interest in similar subjects and use of color. Despite these influences, Hitler’s paintings lacked the innovation seen in the works of his contemporaries. In 1936, American journalist and author John Gunther reviewed the paintings Adolf Hitler had submitted to the Vienna art academy. Gunther described them as “prosaic, utterly devoid of rhythm, color, feeling, or spiritual imagination.” He characterized them as precise architectural sketches lacking artistic depth, noting that it was no surprise the Vienna professors advised Hitler to pursue architecture instead of fine art. The directors of the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna, who had rejected Hitler’s application, noted his difficulty in drawing people. In 2002, a modern art critic, unaware of the paintings’ origins, reviewed some of Hitler’s works. The critic found them technically competent but noted a stark contrast in the style of the human figures, indicating a profound lack of interest in people. At the end of World War II, the United States Army seized a number of Hitler’s paintings, some of which are believed to still be in Germany. These artworks were taken to the United States along with other captured materials and are currently held by the U.S. government, which has declined to allow them to be exhibited. Other paintings remained in the hands of private individuals. In the 2000s, several of these works began appearing at auctions.
(Photo credit: Bundersarchiv / RHP / Wikimedia Commons / Library of Congress). Notify me of new posts by email.
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