“Altes Rathaus,” a watercolor painting by former German citizen Adolph Hitler, sold at auction for $161,000 this weekend.
The painting’s title means “Old Town Hall,” and is 100% accurate. The painting depicts the Old Town Hall (OTH) in Munich, where Hitler first networked.
(Contrary to popular belief, the local government moved into New Town Hall in 1874, and not because Allied forces firebombed the OTH–they didn’t–during World War II.)
According to Kathrin Weidler, director of the Weider Auction House in Nuremburg, the painting was purchased by an anonymous Middle Eastern collector.
The Hitlerpainting is unusual in that it comes with the original 1916 bill of sale, plus a certificate of authenticity.
It had been expected to fetch 50,000 Euros, or approximately $62,000.
Here’s the real question: Where are you supposed to hang a Hitler watercolor? It’s more a conversation-ender than a starter. When you have friends over for dinner, they’re going to ask about the new painting. And you can’t lie about where it came from. “Oh–our son did it. At school. Before they cut the art program.”
You can’t put the Hitlerpainting in the front room, or on the mantle. In the bathroom, maybe. But who wants to hang a $161,000 painting across from the toilet? That seems a strange expenditure.
With the social difficulty of “Altes Rathaus” in mind, here is a list of things one can buy for around $161,000, other than a mediocre watercolor by a failed artist-turned-dictator:
-Four (4!) 2015 Lexus RC 350 coupes. One for yourself; three for people you really want to impress and / or sleep with.
–23 fifty-yard-line tickets for Super Bowl XLIX (that’s this season’s).
–37 all-inclusive vacation packages at the Hyatt in Maui. Airfare included! That’s you, your whole family, everyone you know, and a bunch of people you hope will get lost or lose their luggage on the way.
-Every single dog and cat waiting to be adopted at the Clarke County Animal Control facility in Athens GA, with enough money left over for the giant farm they could all play on that everybody dreams about having but nobody ever gets.
–40,452 bags of Cheetos.
If you had a spare $161,000, what would you spend it on?
