German Art (True Art)

German Art-true art-was "of the people" and expressed the moral values of the Third Reich. It was easy to comprehend, often depicting scenes of everyday life or landscapes. Artistic renderings of the human form, following the classical models of ancient Greece, further embodied Hitler concept of the eternal value of beauty. His favorite sculptors, Josef Thorak and Arno Breker, created dramatic over sized pieces portraying semi-clad male and female figures in poses that idealized youth, strength, heroism, and sacrifice.

Hitler also admired nineteenth-century painters such as Ferdinand and Georg Waldmuller, Franz von Lenbach, and Wilhelm Liebl. In his view, these artists' work promoted strength of family and the unity of the German people. These attributes would be greatly needed in the coming years. Old Master painters such as Jan Vermeer, Rembrandt van Rijn, Leonardo da Vinci, and Jan van Eyck, along with the great German artists Lucas and were universally recognized as the epitome of greatness. Hitler believed ownership of such icons would bring recognition of his sophisticated knowledge of art and refined taste.