Anyone for a Hitler pencil case?
2005-05-11 08:34
The furore over the sale of fake Nelson Mandela artworks reminds me of another art-scandal, also related to a great figure in history. That figure was Adolf Hitler, who has very little in common with Mandela, except that they are both pretty bad artists.
Although lovers of metal music present a convincing argument for the fact that the devil gets all the best tunes, Nazi sympathisers can't make the same claim for paintings. Hitler's paintings, not to put too fine a point on it, are crap.
I first heard about the Hitler art forgeries when reading Robert Harris' incredible book Selling Hitler, about the 1983 saga of the forged Hitler Diaries.
Several reputable publications, such as Stern magazine, were fooled into believing that some incredibly bad forgeries, by a con-artist named Konrad Kujau, were in fact diaries kept by Der Fuehrer.
Some unkind souls have said that Stern rushed into the purchase with an eagerness and alacrity that doesn't become a post-war German magazine. Me, I just say journalists are always hungry for a story.
$4m paid out for fakes
Eventually, some four million dollars was paid out for the fake diaries, which were authenticated by the eminent historian Sir Hugh Trevor-Roper, otherwise known as the Baron Dacre of Glanton. Yes, you've guessed it - as amazing as it seems, that historian was my father.
No, that's a lie. The man isn't related to me at all. Pity. It would have tied this column together rather nicely.
Basically, Trevor-Roper was bulldozed into authenticating the Diaries. The allure of Adolf Hitler was such - indeed, IS such - that historical experts, hard-bitten investigative journalists, and ever-suspicious editors alike were beguiled by the hope that they were actually holding diaries scribbled in by the great man himself.
In fact, the most amazing part of the story for me, is that the fake Hitler paintings are still worth a lot of money. The very fact that they are part of the story of Hitler makes them valuable to a special kind of collector.
I keep referring to Hitler as "a great man". This is not so that I can claim my discount membership to the British Aryan Army - I'm trying to make a point about greatness here.
Why are mundane artefacts worth something just because they belonged to somebody who is considered great? It seems stupid. The forger Konrad Kujau didn't just forge paintings and the Diaries - he faked all manner of ridiculous things, such as a tuxedo worn by Hitler.
In the same way that it's difficult to feel sorry for people who bought fake Hitler paintings, it's hard for me to feel much sympathy for overseas collectors who have bought fake Mandelas.
Of course, there's a charitable cause involved in the latter case, which might make a difference. But there's also an apparent con artist (or two), and that strange desire people have to collect things that were created by great men.
The fact that this great man appears to be on the side of the angels doesn't change the distaste I feel for those people.
Chris Roper didn't bid on e-Bay for Britney Spears' lump of chewing gum. He wasn't even tempted.
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See Chris's previous columns on his blog The World.
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