Four Paintings by Adolf Hitler to Be Auctioned in England

Four paintings by Adolf Hitler (1889-1945) will be auctioned on July 6, with prices between $6,000 and $9,000, as reported by the Shropshire Star. An additional unsigned work attributed to Hitler depicts the grave of Geli Raubel, his half-brother's daughter who died by suicide in 1931 using Hitler's gun. Hitler produced an estimated 2,000 to 3,000 paintings; those not in private hands are held by the International Museum of World War II in Massachusetts and in secret vaults in Washington, seized by the U.S. government in 1945. Kenneth Rendell, founder of the museum, told the New York Post the works are "so ordinary that anyone could have painted them." Critics note Hitler's lack of portraits or scenes with people and animals, reflecting his inability to depict them. Despite this, Hitler sold many works through Samuel Morgenstern's gallery in Vienna; Morgenstern, a Jewish gallerist, was one of the few to support Hitler's talent, and his gallery was seized when Hitler came to power. Auction house Mullock previously sold 15 Hitler paintings in March 2009 for $120,000. In November 2014, a watercolor sold for €133,000 at Auktionshaus Weidler in Nuremberg against a €60,000 estimate. In June 2015, anonymous private investors from China, Brazil, UAE, France, and Germany bought an entire lot of Hitler's works, including a still life for €72,000 and a depiction of Neuschwanstein Castle for €100,000. The high prices raise moral concerns about potential idolization of Hitler.