Adolf Hitler never made it to art school. He was rejected twice by the Viennese Academy of Fine Arts, who took what has remained the consensus view: that Hitler was a mediocre painter - though they suggested he might try his hand at architecture.
Nevertheless, three of his paintings have been sold at auction in Nuremberg, city of the Nazi trials to which Hitler himself was never brought, for a total of $60,000 to three different telephone bidders.
They are thought to have been created in 1910/1911 whilst Hitler was a jobbing artist in Vienna before he signed up to be a soldier in time for WWI.
White Church in the Wachau, (the name of a town in Austria) sold for $34,000, Crumbling Mill for $15,000, and House with Bridge on a River for just under $10,000.
The former was authenticated over 40 years ago by the late Peter Jahn, a respected Hitler expert, which may have helped its price, though in any case it is seen as one of his better works.
Works supposedly by Hitler often undergo questions about their authenticity. Experts are not certain about how many of his works, paintings and others, are in existence but estimate the number at around 720.
As we reported, an etching of Hitler and Lenin including autographs, supposedly painted by Hitler's art teacher, has also been put up for auction recently, with authenticity questions in its own league.
The auction house also sold two watercolours believed to have been painted by Hitler for a total of $45,530, whilst 13 paintings attributed to him were sold for $143,000 in the UK.
Paintings relating to Hitler are unlikely to lose their value as his name has resonance all over the world and this is unlikely to change any time soon.
Naturally their value relates to their status as C20th memorabilia and they would be near worthless if proved to be forgeries.
