Adolf Hitler's artistic aspirations are a chilling footnote to his infamous legacy. Before his rise to power, he dreamed of becoming an artist, applying unsuccessfully to the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts twice. His surviving paintings and sketches, largely watercolors and architectural studies, offer a glimpse into his early ambitions and, perhaps, a window into the development of his worldview.
While technically competent, Hitler's art is often described as uninspired and derivative. Critics point to a lack of originality and an over-reliance on postcard-like representations. The absence of human figures in many works is also notable, leading some to speculate about his psychological state. Examining these works isn't an endorsement, but an attempt to understand the complex and disturbing history surrounding a figure whose artistic failures arguably shaped the course of the 20th century. Should art schools be responsible for what kind of people they reject?
