Adolf Hitler's first self-portrait up for auction A self-portrait of Adolf Hitler, thought to be the first he ever painted, is to go under the hammer for the first time.
Last Updated: 1:31PM GMT 25 Mar 2009
This self-portrait is thought to be the earliest example of the dictator painting himself Photo: CATERS
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.
Related Articles
Adolf Hitler painting sold at £7,000 loss by woman because she hated it
Did Adolf Hitler draw Disney characters?
Leonardo da Vinci portrait 'discovered'
Francis Bacon's portrait of lover 'to fetch £8m'
Nazi propaganda book targeted Charlie ChaplinHitler is shown sat on an old stone bridge, with a cross and the initials AH painted above him.
All of the pictures had been kept under lock and key in storage since their liberation during the Second World War.
But the paintings, which were dated between 1908 and 1912, have now been brought out for the public to see before they go under the hammer in April.
Each of the pieces by the then struggling artist have been individually viewed and authenticated by the late Peter Jahn, a renowned expert on the Austrian period of Hitler's life.
The pictures are mainly of flowers and picturesque landscapes.
These pieces, along with other artefacts, were found by Company Sergeant Major Willie J McKenna, when he was stationed in Essen, Germany in 1945.
They were then sold direct to the present vendor, who has not revealed his identity, and were kept out of sight for decades.
Now they will be auctioned at Ludlow Racecourse in Shropshire by Mullocks on April 23 where they are expected to fetch tens of thousands of pounds.
Self portraits of Hitler that have survived the war are rare, a 1926 pencil sketch sold for £1,050 in 1999 in North Lincolnshire.
This latest piece is thought to be the earliest example of the dictator painting a picture of himself.
Mullocks' historical documents expert Richard Westwood-Brookes said he thought this artwork would stir up a lot of interest.
He said: "It's curious to say the least how an artist, whose interests at this stage of his life should be in such peaceful and bucolic subjects, could turn into the monster he became in later life.
"There's absolute nothing here to suggest how his mind could have turned in such a way.
"From an artistic point of view, one can see why Hitler didn't exactly make a success of his career as an artist.
"These are at best the standard of a reasonably competent amateur and some might consider them downright crude in execution.
"Saying that, there is a tremendous fascination in Hitler these days and this sale will provide bidders with a rare opportunity of obtaining a work by Hitler at a time long before he started his campaigns of mass murder and world domination."
These new pictures include watercolours of a cottage with a thatched roof, families relaxing by a river and country farmscapes.
A moodier painting is of black and white farmhouses, while others are colourful studies of bunches of flowers.
Hitler's struggles as an aspiring artist are well-documented, with his work criticised by many in the art world.
He was rejected twice by the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna in 1907 and 1908 after being told he was unfit for painting.
In Vienna he resorted to copying scenes from postcards and selling to merchants and tourists in an effort to raise funds for himself.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/germany/5049096/Adolf-Hitlers-first-self-portrait-up-for-auction.html Germany Get feed updatesNews Get feed updatesWorld News Get feed updatesHow about that? Get feed updates
