Hitler's Parents up for Auction

[Thorsten B.]

What about a spectroscopy analysis?

[David Fettes]

What about a spectroscopy analysis?

Of Craig or the paintings?

[zitadelle1]

You are right - we got a HUGE spike in traffic as a result of this. My intention for EACH auction is to have a newsworthy item. Next auction, I have another item in store for everyone, that while NOT a "Third Reich" item, has such bizarre cultural significance, that it will be quite appealing to news agencies around the world.

Jack rubys 38 special .....gun of Destiny # 2?

[Thorsten B.]

Gents,

Here comes the real solution:

www.spectroscopyforart.com

Read and enjoy.

[Erich B.]

This sort of testing would only ascertain that the paint, varnish, oil, and canvas were correct for the period.
Erich

[John T]

Of Craig or the paintings?

Please of Craig LoL

[patrice]

This sort of testing would only ascertain that the paint, varnish, oil, and canvas were correct for the period.
Erich

It would at least tell us if the painting was done 70 years ago or just yesterday, still of great benefit to most collectors I would think.

[Erich B.]

You can tell whether an oil painting was done yesterday or 70 years ago without very elaborate testing.
Erich

[Craig Gottlieb]

Erich is right, there is no need for special laser testing. Also, Erich speaks with experience. Because he's an artist and historian, I chose to have him there, the day the paintings were brought forward.

[Rob Brown]

A couple of boring old paintings..... If they weren't of Hitler's parents no one would bat an eye lid....

[Craig Gottlieb]

Rob is right. Same can be said of any of the things we collect:

"Dumb old medal. If it wasn't a Nazi Knight's Cross, nobody would care."

"Silly visor, I've seen Post Office visors sell on Ebay for $25.00. If it weren't Hitler's visor, it'd never get any attention."

"Weird. An autographed picture? If it weren't of Hitler, dedicated to Himmler, it'd be a $25.00 photograph."

This gets to the heart of the matter: a collectible can be defined as something that has increased value because of it's age, historical significance, or cultural relevance.

[Thorsten B.]

In my opinion the spectroscopy analysis method is of great help and it is definitely not always easy to determine by inspecting a piece of art (whether a painting or for example a wooden object) if it is made 5 or 70 years ago.

Otherwise fakers wouldn´t be successful - and wouldn´t produce fakes at all.

An actual infamous example of VERY good faked oil painting is the "sudden" surface of several professionally humped up pieces from Fernand Léger, Max Beckmann, Emil Nolde and other very sought after german artists from that first modern period - the whole thing was declared as an unknown collection of a (non-existing) art collector named Jäger - it was published in most national and international art journals like Weltkunst and others.

Many serious, rich and/or well-known collectors and dealers were completely fooled.

[Dietrich Maerz]

These paintings are real historical jewels and I hope that they might return to Germany

So the second rate paintings by an unknown painter of the parents of one of the greatest criminals in history can only bloom in Germany? I don't think so! Furthermore they should go back to Austria by that reasoning. But fortunately nobody in his right mind in both countries will do so and they might end up in a private shrine ...

It is one of the great benefits of our society that the law of economy will determine the value of these two things. Maybe it is worth 25,000 to someone - a cultural heitage which should go "Heim ins Reich" they are certainly not. Neither from an artistic nor subject point of view.

Dietrich

[Craig Gottlieb]

Thorsten: I also agree. I would say that any buyer of a historical painting should consider the provenance, but also consider backing up that provenance with scientific analysis. As Erich said, it's not a "have to have" in order to know these paintings are real, but it's definitely in my opinion a "nice to have." It would help me sleep at night if I knew that my Rembrandt was not painted using paints purchased at Michael's!

[Craig Gottlieb]

Also, for the curious, the painting was painted in 1933, and was reproduced in the catalog of hitler's private collection, in 1936. This is the catalog that is on file at the Library of Congress. For more information, or for a footnote for my claim, go here:

http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2003678228/

The paintings were THE paintings of his parents, that resided in Hitler's private collection, and are therefore, the most important of any such paintings that may exist (or have existed) elsewhere.