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Tainted art
 The relationship between dictators (and dictatorial regimes) and works of art has long been a complex one. On the one hand, dictators have sought to suppress those works that were deemed to be unacceptable, whilst on the other hand, they have sought to enlist and encourage the works of "approved" artists for the purposes of propaganda.
In this publication, we have often included stories of works that have been seized by the Nazis; on our news pages in this issue, we have a very different story - that of a painting that was confiscated by the former East German secret police, the Stasi, but which has since happily been restored to the family that owned it.
Also in this issue, we report that the National Gallery in London has discovered that a painting in its collection once belonged to one Adolf Hitler. Naturally, the gallery is horrified by the implications, since Herr Hitler was not averse to acquiring - no, stealing - works of art from those who failed to match his political or indeed racial ideals.
In both cases, credit is due. The 'Stasi' painting, Hercules and Achelous, has come to auction after a Berlin court decided that its original seizure, by Communist officials ostensibly in lieu of tax, was unlawful. The National Gallery, on discovering that Hitler once owned one of its gems, is making every effort to find out what happened to the painting during its "missing years".
On the plus side, for any subsequent buyer of a 'tainted' work of art, such investigations can only be good. Works of art with such a past always attract interest and therefore headlines. A provenance that includes a place in the collection of any notorious dictator or a connection with history, however villainous, will always attract attention. If a painting has a connection with Hitler or any other dictator or dubious regime, and has been subsequently investigated, that can only be a good thing for a potential buyer. Such 'dubious' works will inevitably be subjected to even more scrutiny than the average lot, which can surely only put a buyer's mind at rest.
Editor
Phil Ellis |
