Lot 842

Previous image preload Next image preload

Description:

PAINTING BY A GERMAN P.O.W. AND ESCAPEE
A most intriguing World War II relic, an original painting, 14 1/2" x 19 3/4" (sight), an oil-on-canvas depiction of a mountainous landscape with a waterfall and footbridge, set in a simple wood frame. Most interestingly, the painting is signed at lower right: "R. Schenkel POW - Miami - Fla. 1945", indicating that it was painted by a German prisoner of war interned in the United States. Notably, the painting is executed on a piece of olive drab canvas, crudely cut and stapled over a simple piece of board. A professionally-prepared canvas would be white or off-white, and affixed to a wooden stretcher, which indicates that this canvas was assembled from found or scrounged materials in a setting where professional art supplies were not readily available. Miami was the location of at least two P.O.W. camps during the war, at Bell Haven and Kendall. Present with the painting is an article from a Florida newspaper, dated September 3, 1944, describing the escape of two prisoners from the camp at Kendall - Willi Severitt and Rolf Schenckel. Although no further information can be located regarding this incident, it can be reasonably surmised that the Rolf Schenckel described in the article is the painter of the piece presented here, and that he executed it following his recapture. The painting shows a single scuff, else very good.

Accepted Forms of Payment:

Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Shipments are sent via USPS Priority, USPS International Priority, DHL (for most overseas shipments) or FedEx Ground at the auctioneer's option, signature is always required, unless other arrangements are made. Handling and shipping charges will be added to the invoice in one entry. Buyers should be aware that large, framed, fragile or odd shaped items can incur substantial shipping and packing charges. International shipments are invoiced by DIMENSIONAL weight, not the item weight. Please contact us for an estimate before bidding NOTE: Large, heavy or bulky items may not be shipped by the auctioneer - arrangements for shipping of these items via a third-party shipper may be arranged through the auction house. Customers who supply their own courier account number will still be charged a handling fee. Please allow 2-3 weeks for shipments after receipt of payment due to the high volume of packages being shipped.

September 14, 2017 11:00 AM EDT
Chesapeake City, MD, US

Alexander Historical Auctions LLC

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of up to 27.5% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

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 + $10,000