Hitler paintings fail to attract interest
Friday 2nd October 2009, 11:30AM BST.
Thirteen paintings created by Adolf Hitler have failed to attract a single bid at a Shropshire auction.
The artwork was up for sale in a historical documents sale at the Mullocks auction at Ludlow Racecourse yesterday.
The works included oils, pastels and watercolours, along with an etching of the Nazi leader playing chess, which was apparently created by his Jewish art teacher.
Richard Westwood-Brookes, for Mullocks Auctioneers, said: “The etching shows two people playing chess in Vienna in 1909. One is Hitler and the other is Lenin.
“It is signed by them both on the back, so it is claimed.”
Mr Westwood-Brookes said the vendor’s father had devoted his entire life to proving the authenticity of the work, leading to the production of a 300-page dossier which includes forensic evidence, signed witness statements and affidavits.
Mr Westwood-Brookes said he did not know why the paintings hadn’t attracted any bidders.
He said: “It’s one of the vagaries of the auction business. Sometimes you get a lot of interest, sometimes you don’t.”
A previous sale of Hitler’s works earlier this year had raised £95,000.
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