Would you buy this painting by Adolf Hitler?

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Adolf Hitler was an avid painter in his youth before entering politics, though he was noted more for his failures than his artistic successes. The budding demagogue was twice rejected from the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna for his perceived lack of talent. One can only speculate how 20th century history might have been different had the young Hitler been accepted to art school.

A painting created by the 24-year-old Hitler has recently sold at an online auction, according to reports. The painting, titled ‘Maritime Nocturno,’ sold for approximately $12,000 in a closed sale by the Darte auction house in Slovakia.

The owner of Darte has been quoted as saying that the painting was offered for sale by an unnamed family of a Slovak painter who may have met Hitler when he was a struggling artist in Vienna during the early 20th century.

‘Maritime Nocturno’ depicts a moonlit seascape, with the moon partially concealed by clouds. The painting stands about 24 inches tall by 19 inches wide.

Paintings by or thought to be by Hitler have hit the auction circuit in recent years. In 2009, a seller in New Jersey offered a painting by a young Hitler that depicts a snowy mountain overlooking a quaint European town.

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-- David Ng