Der doppelte Hitler

Abstract

The double Hitler
Observations made on both versions of the Hitler portrait from Klaus Richter with UV-fluorescence and infrared

Both contributions deal with the genesis of two Hitler portraits of Klaus Richter (1887–1948) from an art historical and restoration viewpoint. One version is in the collection of the City Museum Foundation Berlin, the other one in the German Historical Museum. A portrait of Herman Göring from the same artist, which was originally planned as a commissioned work, is also introduced. Despite the artist not being an antifaschist he still confronted himself artistically with the two Nazi giants as “the reflection of evil and painted the profiles of a megalomaniac and a madman”. The diagnostic radiological observations of the Hitler portraits with UV-fluorescence and infrared allow a deeper understanding of their development, painting technique as well as changes in composition. A “horror pentimento” is made visible with the aid of an infrared reflectogram, which also lets a “third” Hitler shine through from underneath. This contribution also clarifies the order of when the two versions were painted