Paintings hung at the Berghof.

[Johnnyrocket]

This Forum is better that a college education.

Johnny R.

[majorplm]

Dear Geoff,

My pleasure!

Philippe
(majorplm)

[Alpenfestung]

This painting is currently listed on ebay Germany - for those who don't read German, the seller claims it came from the Berghof, probably from one of the guestrooms; seller's grandfather was a SS officer up there and brought it back after the end of the war. Painted in 1932 by a fellow named Springinsgut, It is supposed to be included in a secret US list of all Berghof artwork.

http://cgi.ebay.de/Hitler-Berghof-Fuhre ... 1e6144c580

[Annelie]

Kind of strange that its leaning against what looks like an grave stone?

[Geoff Walden]

It's an attractive painting, but for a price like that, I'd want to see a genuine period photo showing that painting hanging in the Berghof.

The story is nice, but Manion's auction house once sold a painting with a similar story, that was supposed to depict Haus Wachenfeld itself, and all it was, was a common painting of a mountain chalet, not Haus Wachenfeld at all (although, as I recall, the frame had an eagle with a swastika on it, and a label that said it was Hitler's house).

Just my 2¢ worth.

Geoff

[Alpenfestung]

Kind of strange that its leaning against what looks like an grave stone?

Maybe it's grandpa's grave............

I agree with Geoff, considering the price I'd want to see some proof that it actually came from the Berghof - I assume there were paintings in other buildings on the Obersalzberg, too.

Peter

[scruffy]

i can tell from the photo ,...that it is not a 'period' painting ,...and it is rather poorly done and amateurish , i.e. the old 'wet on wet process' ....most likely painted long after the war ended , it is such poor quality ,that i doubt that it hung anywhere but some saloon or poor mans ski chalet / fishing cabin,... thousands like it were sold to tourists in the region ,painted by old lady's and shut-ins with nominal talent --

[MontysCaravan]

That's a rather appaling painting regardless of it's actuality, however a lot of the art of the third reich was equally appalling, flat, lifeless, and lacking style.

The item as listed on ebay lacks any serious provenance and definately not 1500 euro worth. I'm not sure that even a photo of an identical painting hanging on a wall would count either. If anyone disagrees and would like to buy some art just post a photo of the picture you'd like and I go and "find" it for you.

[scruffy]

so true ,....Third Reich art was rather simplistic , and bordered more on the illustrative and mundane ...,... artists , many of great talent were forced to paint nationalist propaganda of little or no artistic value .
after WW1 ,...AH never could under stand why his 'art' was not accepted by the contemporary critics of his time ,...the man lacked any measurable degree of artistic genius ..., he simply could not comprehend the abstract ... and had no tolerance of it ,..
his rejection by the art world haunted & bothered him during his whole adult life , he didn't under stand why they didn't like his boring renditions of buildings and alpine meadows .
his view on things was purely 'black and white' his mind could only under stand images that looked 'real' ,... proving with out a shadow of a doubt,.. that he personally lacked the vision , and what it takes to be a great leader of men ,...
by national decree he outlawed free artistic expression ,... i think he was personally threatened by the abstract ,..and simply hated things that his mind could not understand ,
he was responsible for the destruction of thousands of priceless works of art ,...because they didn't fit into his ' black and white' image of the world .
but i digress ,...the above painting should be destroyed , not because of any infamous Nazi heritage ,...but simply because it is a poorly painted piece of garbage ....

[Johnnyrocket]

Here is one I did of the Berghof (Circa 1923) years ago. Of course it was from a period photograph.

Johnny R.

[Johnnyrocket]

Now this is a period painting of the (early) Berghof which sold on Germania International years ago.

Johnny R.

[Max]

Were the paintings in the Berghof Hitler's personal property or state owned?
If the former, did he pay for them with his personal funds or were the "acquired" for him?
Naturally I know of the vast scale of depredations on the public and private collections of Europe but did any of them find their way to the Berhof?
If this has been covered elsewhere, please direct me to the thread.
Max

[Max]

Is there an answer to my question above? -Just curious.
Max

[Annelie]

Can't be of help there Max, but found this

Schloss Berghof as it was called by the Germans was built at an altitude of 1,000 meters and finally
consisted of 60 rooms filled with expensive furniture, Gobelin tapestries and paintings by Dutch and Italian or
German masters. Hitler bought the paintings from dealers like Haberstock or Frau Almers in Munich. On the
ground floor was Hitler's dining room. The tables were made of pine and furnished with silver, porcelain and
crystal. The table silver was engraved with the initials AH and stamped with the German eagle and the
swastika. On the same floor, there was the famous great hall and the drawing room, the later being
dominated by an enormous stove and decorated with an old Italian painting depicting the Colosseum in
Rome. The great hall was seperated from the drawing room by an archway : the chief feature of the Hall was
a 32-meter giant panoramic window (pic above) that could be fully opened.

http://schikelgruber.net/index.html

which seems to indicate if its correct that he probably owned them privately?

[Max]

Thanks for that Annelie.
It's surprising that not more is known or more easily available.
Max