Hitler's First Self-Portrait Up For Auction

Telegraph:

The watercolour painting is among 13 works by the Nazi dictator, created back in 1910 when he was just 21. The small portrait has no nose or mouth, but the side parting hairstyle is unmistakable and experts are sure it is him because of the markings on the piece.

Read the whole story: Telegraph

Comments

[SoCalAmerican]

11:33 PM on 03/25/2009

If this auctioned for millions and I could afford it....I'd buy it, call all the local and cable news channel to watch me burn it on live television. Waste of millions -- not if its for a worthy point in the history of the globe and mankind.

[wadenelson1]

07:55 PM on 03/25/2009

this is a great way to smoke out the remaining few old nazi's in hiding. And a few new ones.
I'm sure the authorities are just waiting for bidders to sign up.

[WilliamProc]

07:06 PM on 03/25/2009

Looks like one of Gerald Scarfe's shetches from Pink Floyd's The Wall album.

Rather disturbing.

[oakley9]

05:17 PM on 03/25/2009

Any psychologist/art therapists out there? I would love to hear your take on the no nose or mouth and X above his head. I'm sure there is much revealed in all of the drawings. Wish we could see them.

[Paulo1]

03:58 PM on 03/25/2009

As a historian I am thrilled to see some of the art of the era finally coming out in a visible way. Nazi art while supporting a reprehensible regime tells a story of what happened, of what values and morality drove the movement and what ideals they were trying to live. Too much Nazi art has been consigned to forbidden archives and not enough to the walls of museums where it can be studied. Only when we have the right to say we have fully studied an era do we have the right to say that we understand how NOT to repeat it.

[MochasMom]

02:07 PM on 03/25/2009

As loathe as I am to say anything nice about him, it's actually... pretty good. What a tragedy he didn't stick to harmless painting.

[jazzycafe]

01:58 PM on 03/25/2009

It is disturbing to see this little painting. As a watercolor artist, just deeply disturbing and offensive to see. I love watercolors and usually see beauty in them. I don't know how to express this just right, maybe other artists out there understand. Sadness and pain is what I feel seeing that painting.

Why would someone want to own it?

[mendelcrosses]

01:45 PM on 03/25/2009

please,who wants to buy a portrait and a poor one at that of Hitler?

I understand his relatives are somewhere,you can take it to them,its their property and hand it to them free of charge. U holding it is wrong in the first place,doesnt belong to you.

[cactusgal]

01:08 PM on 03/25/2009

Der Fuehrer appears to be invading himself in this charming little self portrait

[gazmac2]

12:48 PM on 03/25/2009

If only he had stuck to painting - badly.

Who the hell wants to buy this 'degenerate' art? People with no sense or taste I guess. And too much money, which I think I'm now allowed to say without being villified in these 'socialist' times.

[montecarlo408]

01:16 PM on 03/25/2009

You'd be suprised who would want it. Michelle Bachman, Limbaugh, and Coulter have all placed opening bids.

[jazzycafe]

01:52 PM on 03/25/2009

I would not doubt that. Add Glenn Beck's name to that list.

[wm1066]

11:55 AM on 03/25/2009

I disagree, I dont see this as a self portrait. Most artists that do self portraits usually look into a mirror to get their face right, Van gogh did alot of self portraits and the eyes are looking back at you, but in this picture the subject is looking down, its hard to do a self portrait when your looking down, unless he went by a picture of himself to do it. Hitler was not a rich man at this time and to get a picture of himself on a bridge wouldn't have been as easy in his time as it is today. Plus artists that do self portraits don't stop with one, they usually do more over time, so did Hitler do more self portraits? He had them done after he became Fuhrer but this is the only self portrait they think he did. And why would he wreck the compostion by writing on it? I think some one else wrote on it.