Hitlers paintings, should they be destroyed or preserved?

Question

Would you personally destroy art paintings by Adolf Hitler if you had one or more of them?

Answer 1

My philosophical answer is no - because Hitler destroyed art (and artists) for creating work that did not agree with the Nazi ideology. Why should we emulate his actions in an attempt to distance ourselves from them? That makes no sense. It's actually ironic.

My practical answer is no - because all art is valid (even paintings created by monkies - but that was another question asked several days ago) and to create a complete and balanced look at art through history, the more we have the better. Personally, I find that it is particularly fascinating that a vegetarian art student (Hitler) would turn into a destroyer of culture and countries (!!!) - his work was/is overly idealistic in its portrayal of people and landscapes (and not that good, imho) and was summarily rejected by his professors and peers. Just goes to show, an artist scorned is ... scary!

Answer 2

No, because how are we going to learn from the past if we reduce the full spectrum of someone ?
We all have a good side and a bad side. Kind of like the PH Scale of humanity. Hitlers art was his hobby. That's all. He was not as successfull as an artist as a leader. A leader who took his nation down the wrong path. He was a master manipulator. I would never destroy his art. That's like destroying historical records. If Napoleon or Saddam Hussein had painted or made some kind of art or literature. Why would we want to destroy it ? Publishers still print Mein Kempf. Here's what can be learned form Hitler; His ruthlessness was covered up by his art & social skills. Especially his ability to command attention and to use words well. People fell for it.

Answer 3

No, for several reasons:
1. the study of art psychology is developing more and more and over time I think alot of interesting and pertinent knowledge can be gained by his paintings being analyzed as to the content of his psychological character.
2. I don't think art should ever be destroyed because once it's gone it's gone, and if nothing else it can give you an idea of historic perspective and art theoretic perspective at the time (especially if it's commissioned) which is very important because often art theory is specific to it's age and can give insight to the cultural happenings at the time. (Good or bad)
3. Wagner the composer is a known aryan/racist but people still listen to his music (i have no idea why), John Wayne Gacy murdered children and buried them under his house, his paintings sell for inordinate amounts of money, (again, I don't know why) I suppose there is a faction of people who have a sort of morbid curiosity about this stuff, I don't understand it but I'm not going to censor them, and destroying this stuff would ultimately be censorship, and censoring history is never good.

Answer 4

No one should ever destroy art.....even if it is Hitlers. Art is a beautiful thing that should never be destroyed, It should be preserved.

Answer 5

Yea, they look first rate sufficient to the untrained eye. i think of artwork "experts" see some thing the final public does not. i think of they discover them unimaginative. He in no way claimed to be a great painter. He definately had reliable thoughts grew to become into very reliable with representational artwork. He did no longer incredibly do something groundbreaking, regardless of the undeniable fact that. i think of he painted what ninety 9% of painters did on the time, it quite is to paint landscapes and homes. i individually have not got any problem with them. I wish i'd desire to paint that nicely. i think of alot of it additionally has to do with the reality that it is Hitler. human beings desire to slag off each and everything Hitler did. actuality is, Hitler did alot of reliable issues till now he went insane. He grew to become right into a reliable chief, initially. human beings get wrapped up in who can denounce Hitler toughest and that they do themselves a disservice. purely liking Hitler's artwork or admiring a number of the obtrusive characteristics which allowed him to upward push to Chancellor of Germany as he did does not make somebody a raging anti-semite like maximum would declare. think of for your self and you'd be super. The VW computer virus grew to become into designed by skill of Hitler. I in no way hear all people who drives one being stated as a Hitler lover.

Answer 6

No.. why destroy them??
its like if I wanted to erase that part of history. History its necessary for learning from it and not repeat the same mistakes.

Answer 7

I guess put them in a museum. I didn't know there were such paintings by Hitler

Answer 8

I agree with Nor2206. They're part of history because they give insight to the soul of a sick person who was able to get people to follow him and do an awful lot of damage.

Answer 9

History should never be destroyed; No matter what it is it still part of history.

Answer 10

They should be perserved. We must never forget the monster who painted them.