Description:

ADOLF HITLER WATERCOLOR PAINTING OF THE 'EAGLE'S NEST'
A watercolor painting of the interior of the Kehlsteinhaus, or 'Eagle's Nest', attributed as having been painted by Adolf Hitler before the completion and official gifting of the structure by the Nazi Party to Hitler on his fiftieth birthday, in 1939. The painting is on a 13.25 x 9.75 in. sheet of heavy stock and depicts the reception room in the building. Three chairs are arranged about a bulky wood coffee table with a large sofa placed against an exterior wall. Two windows with mullion bars flank the sofa, a wall sconce is hung above, and a green potted plant rests upon the floor. There is no doubt that this painting is an excellent rendering of the actual interior of a section of the Eagle's Nest, as the fabrics and furniture styles are nearly identical to those appearing in period photos showing the actual furnishings placed in the the finished room. The painting bears a penciled number '32/23' at lower-right, indicating that it is one of a series, perhaps of 32 pieces. A penciled, stylized 'A H' appears beside the number, placed there either by Hitler or another party identifying the piece. The initials are not typical of Hitler's artist's signature, but of course at the time of this painting, he had not undertaken and signed any paintings of any quantity for over twenty years. On the verso is a pencil note reading 'Kehlstein...', the rest of the inscription is indecipherable, and in our opinion not in Hitler's hand. The style, media used, and stilted perspective seen here are all hallmarks of legitimate pieces of Hitler's artwork, and of course he continued to design interiors and exteriors almost until his end. It is also no surprise that Hitler himself was involved in the interior design of the Kelsteinhaus. The structure was a gift to Hitler and it would have been unseemly, in not outright unhealthy, for anyone to have not consulted with Hitler himself in decorating the structure. We know as a fact that Hitler designed furniture for the Berghof, and probably undertook interior views of that house as well prior to its remodeling in 1935-36. And it should be mentioned that the furniture in this painting closely resembles the furniture Hitler chose to furnish the Berghof. The painting is in excellent condition, with only original tack holes from its creation remaining in four corners, and it has been professionally pH buffered and encapsulated. This same painting (as well as two others in the series) appears on the in-depth reference site: kehlsteinhaus.com where it is attributed to Hitler, as well as on the travel website: uncommon-travel-germany.com with the same attribution. In print, a similar painting from the same series appears in the photographic guide 'History of the Eagle's Nest' by Florian Beierl. It too is attributed to Hitler. A significant Hitler artwork, and possibly one of the last paintings he would ever create.

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July 28, 2022 10:00 AM EDT
Elkton, MD, US

Alexander Historical Auctions LLC

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $499 $20
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $999,999 $10,000
$1,000,000 $1,999,999 $50,000
$2,000,000 + $100,000