Description:

REICH MINISTRY OF AVIATION PROPOSED WALL ART DESIGN BY ADOLF WAMPER
A fabulous piece of Third Reich art, an original sketch of a stone frieze in nine panels, 56" x 15", in charcoal on onionskin paper, showing its proposed placement on a protected exterior wall adjacent to an entrance of the Berlin headquarters of the "Reichsluftfahrtministerium" ("Reich Ministry of Aviation"), or RLM. The sketch depicts a winged figure with arms upraised at center, flanked by an eagle and a woman in profile presenting a laurel branch at right, and by three male figures bearing a sword, a torch and a flag, respectively, at left. The pencil notation ''Entwarf II/Verfasser Adolf Wamper, Berlin-Dahlem Hundeskehlestrasse 29" ("Design II/Artist Adolf Wamper, Berlin-Dahlem Hundeskehlestrasse 29") appears above the design, giving the name of the designer and his address. A human figure appears in the foreground for scale. The design is heavily chipped along the bottom edge, and shows several folds, else very good. The RLM building, located on the Wilhelmstrasse in central Berlin, was constructed between February 1935 and August 1936, following a design by Ernst Sagebiel, who completed numerous other projects for the Luftwaffe, including the modernization of Tempelhof Airport. It was one of the few public buildings in Berlin to escape serious damage during World War II, and its ceremonial hall hosted the founding of the German Democratic Republic, which utilized it as a governmental center. The building is now known as the "Detlev-Rohwedder-Haus". It appears that the design presented here would have been installed in the space now occupied by a porcelain tile mural designed by Max Lingner, depicting the Socialist ideal of contented East Germans facing a bright future. ADOLF WAMPER (1901-1977) was a German figural sculptor, best known for his monumental depictions of the idealized male form, married with martial themes. His work decorated the entrance to the "Waldbuhne" theatre on the grounds of the Berlin Olympic stadium, as well as that of the "Messe Berlin" trade fair center.

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April 17, 2018 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 + $10,000