Leo Martínez
Adolf Hitler, the dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 until his suicide in 1945, was a painter in his youth. After his mother's death, Hitler moved to Vienna in 1908 to pursue his dream of becoming an artist. He was rejected by the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna twice, in 1907 and 1908, on the grounds that his paintings were unsatisfactory, and he was advised to study architecture instead. Despite his lack of success in Vienna, Hitler continued to pursue his artistic ambitions, selling paintings and developing an interest in politics. While he did become a politician and dictator, it is clear that Hitler had a passion for art and architecture, and he even considered architecture to be his true calling.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Hitler's profession | Painter, politician |
| Hitler's aspiration | To be a great painter |
| Hitler's view of his profession | "I am an artist and not a politician" |
| Hitler's father's aspiration for him | Civil servant |
| Hitler's view of his father's aspiration | "I yawned and grew sick to the thought of sitting in an office" |
| Hitler's view of architecture | His true calling |
| Hitler's preferred subject in painting | Architecture |
| Hitler's style of painting | "An amalgam of conventional styles" |
| Hitler's painting style according to art historian Birgit Schwarz | "He had no style of his own as a painter, but generally just copied" |
| Hitler's style of painting according to American journalist John Gunther | "Prosaic, utterly devoid of rhythm, color, feeling, or spiritual imagination" |
| Hitler's opinion about modern art | "Degenerate" product of Jews and Bolsheviks |
| Hitler's opinion about his watercolour paintings | Average |
| Hitler's opinion about his oil paintings | "I feel that I have it in my soul to become one of the great artists of the age" |
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What You'll Learn
Hitler's early life and ambitions
Adolf Hitler, the dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 until his suicide in 1945, had a troubled early life. He was born in 1889 in a provincial hometown of Linz, the son of a civil servant. Hitler's father, Alois Hitler, had a conventional career path in mind for his son, something more practical, like becoming a respectable civil servant. However, Hitler wanted something more glamorous and artistic for himself.
In 1907, 18-year-old Hitler left his hometown and moved to Vienna, the capital of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, to pursue his dream of becoming an artist. However, he was rejected by the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna twice, in 1907 and 1908, on the grounds that his paintings were "unsatisfactory". The board suggested that he study architecture instead, but Hitler considered this a demotion. After his mother's death in early 1908, Hitler spent his time in Vienna sleeping late, sketching, and reading. He made a meagre living as a professional artist from 1908 to 1913, producing hundreds of works, but with little commercial or critical success.
Hitler's preferred subject was architecture, which he represented using a mix of conventional styles, including Greco-Roman classicism, the Italian Renaissance, and Neoclassicism. He primarily worked in watercolour and oil, often painting urban landscapes, buildings, and other landmarks in Vienna. He sold these paintings to tourists and frame-sellers, and later found several loyal, well-off customers who commissioned works from him. In 1913, Hitler moved to Munich, where he continued to work as a painter and dealer of his own artwork.
Despite his lack of commercial success as an artist, Hitler remained ambitious and believed that he could become a great painter. He wrote in Mein Kampf that his rejection from the Academy of Fine Arts struck him "as a bolt from the blue," as he had been so convinced of his success. Hitler's artistic ambitions were ultimately sidelined by the outbreak of World War I, when he voluntarily enlisted in the military in August 1914.
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Hitler's time in Vienna
Adolf Hitler moved to Vienna, Austria in 1908, shortly after his mother's death. He had dreamed of becoming an artist, but his father wanted him to become a civil servant. Hitler's childhood friend, August Kubizek, was accepted to a conservatory to study music, but Hitler spent his first months in Vienna sleeping late, sketching, and reading.
Hitler had already been rejected by the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna before he moved there. He would go on to be rejected by the Academy twice more in 1907 and 1908, on the grounds that his paintings were unsatisfactory. The directors noted that he struggled to draw people and suggested that he study architecture instead. Hitler, however, considered this a demotion.
Hitler continued to pursue his passion and began earning money by selling small oil and watercolour paintings of Vienna's buildings and landmarks, which he copied from postcards. He sold these paintings to tourists and frame-sellers, and even to a Jewish store owner, Samuel Morgenstern, who was one of the most loyal buyers of Hitler's paintings. With this income, Hitler moved out of the homeless shelter and into a men's home, where he painted by day and studied books at night.
In 1913, Hitler moved to Munich, where he continued to sell scenes of the city's landmarks. However, his frustrated art career would later become part of the myth-making that helped drive his rise to power in Germany. As Führer, Hitler denounced modern art as the "degenerate" product of Jews and Bolsheviks. He allegedly had his own paintings collected and destroyed, although several hundred are known to survive.
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Hitler's art and architecture
Adolf Hitler, the dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 until his suicide in 1945, was a painter in his youth. He moved to Vienna in 1908 to pursue his dream of becoming an artist. However, he was rejected by the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna twice, in 1907 and 1908. Hitler then began earning money by selling small oil and watercolour paintings of buildings and landmarks in Vienna, which he copied from postcards. He sold these paintings to tourists and frame-sellers, allowing him to move out of a homeless shelter and into a men's home. From 1908 to 1913, Hitler made a meagre living as a professional artist, producing hundreds of works.
Hitler's preferred subject was architecture, which he represented using a mix of conventional styles. He drew primarily from Greco-Roman classicism, the Italian Renaissance, and Neoclassicism. He appreciated the technical ability and comprehensible symbolism displayed by this art. In his autobiographical manifesto, 'Mein Kampf', Hitler described how his dream of becoming a professional artist was ruined by his failure to enter the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna.
Despite his lack of formal training, Hitler continued to produce artwork, and his early paintings were later sought out and purchased by Peter Jahn, the Art Consultant to the German Embassy in Vienna. Hitler himself considered architecture to be his true calling, and he once confessed, "If Germany hadn't lost the War, I would have become a great architect—something like Michelangelo, instead of a politician." He believed that only as the head of government could he be in a position to order and realise his architectural visions.
Hitler's views on art and architecture were instrumental in shaping Nazi ideology. He railed against modern art, calling it "degenerate" and associating it with democracy, pacifism, and Jewish and communist influences. The Nazis held Degenerate Art exhibitions to condemn modern art as a threat to German culture and national identity. At the same time, they favoured more realistic and classical styles, drawing inspiration from Roman and Greek architecture to create a sense of power. Nazi architecture emphasised simplicity, uniformity, monumentality, solidity, and eternity, reflecting the image the Nazi Party wanted to project. Hitler's architect, Albert Speer, was responsible for designing massive public buildings, including a Führermuseum in Linz, Austria, and the rebuilding of Berlin.
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Hitler's rejection from art school
Adolf Hitler, the dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 until his suicide in 1945, was a painter in his youth. In 1907, Hitler took the entrance exam for the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna and passed the preliminary portion. However, his portfolio was deemed unsatisfactory by the admissions committee, and he was rejected.
Hitler applied to the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna again in 1908 and was rejected once more. This second rejection came as a shock to Hitler, who had been confident of his success. Over the next year, he moved from one cheap rented room to another and even lived in a homeless shelter for a time.
Hitler's early works were primarily small oil and watercolour paintings, mostly images of buildings and other landmarks in Vienna that he copied from postcards. He sold these paintings to tourists and frame-sellers, enabling him to move out of the homeless shelter and into a men's home. From 1908 to 1913, Hitler made a meagre living as a professional artist, producing hundreds of works to little commercial or critical success.
Hitler's preferred subject was architecture, which he represented using a mix of conventional styles. He drew primarily from Greco-Roman classicism, the Italian Renaissance, and Neoclassicism. He admired the technical ability and comprehensible symbolism displayed by this art.
In 1936, after seeing the paintings Hitler submitted to the Vienna art academy, American journalist and author John Gunther wrote that they were "prosaic, utterly devoid of rhythm, colour, feeling, or spiritual imagination." He agreed with the assessment of the Vienna professors, who had told Hitler to pursue architecture instead of pure art.
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Hitler's political rise and art's influence
Adolf Hitler, the dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 until his suicide in 1945, was a painter in his youth. He moved to Vienna in 1908, where he pursued his dream of becoming an artist. However, he was rejected twice by the Academy of Fine Arts, once in 1907 and again in 1908. Despite this setback, Hitler continued to paint and even sold some of his works to tourists and frame-sellers. He produced hundreds of paintings during this time, but they were not well-received critically or commercially. Hitler's preferred subject was architecture, and he often copied styles from the Italian Renaissance and Neoclassicism.
In 1913, Hitler moved to Munich, where he continued to sell paintings of the city's landmarks. However, his art career came to an end in 1914 when he enlisted in World War I. During the war, Hitler carried canvas and paper with him and spent his leave time painting. His wartime paintings included farmers' houses and dressing stations.
After the war, Hitler's interest in politics grew, and he joined the German Workers' Party, which later became the Nazi Party, in 1919. He soon became the leader of the party, exploiting unrest during the Great Depression to gain popularity. In 1932, he placed second in the presidential race, and the following year, he was appointed chancellor. Hitler's rise to power was marked by his use of propaganda and his ambition for territorial expansion, driven by his belief in racial supremacy.
As Führer, Hitler railed against modern art, calling it "degenerate" and a threat to German national identity. He endorsed artists such as the sculptors Josef Thorak and Arno Breker, promoting an ideal of Aryan art influenced by classical Greece and the Middle Ages. Hitler also attempted to retrieve his early paintings, possibly to control public knowledge about his lack of achievement in art. Despite his political role, Hitler considered himself an artist first, stating in 1939 that he wanted to end his life as an artist.
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Frequently asked questions
Hitler wanted to be a painter, and considered art his true calling. He once said, "All my life I have wanted to be a great painter in oils". However, he was advised to pursue architecture instead.
Hitler did become a painter, producing between 2,000 and 3,000 works between the ages of 18 and 25. He worked primarily in watercolours and oils.
No, Hitler never practised architecture.
Hitler saw himself as a great artist and believed that future historians would remember him for his art, not his politics. He said, "I feel that I have it in my soul to become one of the great artists of the age".
Hitler was advised to pursue architecture instead of painting, but he considered this a demotion and refused to return to secondary school, which would have been necessary to enrol in architecture school.
