Hitler's favourite painting

Hitler's favorite painting was one of the most known oil-based paintings of Frederick the Great, belonging to Adolf Hitler.

Hitler was known to admire Frederick II and often spoke and quoted him. He actually had many paintings of Frederick II, one of them even being offerd as a gift by Himmler at the his 50th bithday.

Much of the portrait's history comes from James P. O'Donnell book The Bunker.

In his book, O'Donnell claims that Hitler bought the portrait in Munich in 1934. The author was claimed to be Anton Graff. Hitler used to take the painting everytime he moved from in headquarters and that its transport was in Hitler's personal pilot, Hans Baur, care. Baur disliked this, however, as the painting was always placed in a bulky crate, that would sometimes scratch the plane's leather seating. It would always take precedence in the plane over passengers and even his general officers.

Alone, Hitler was known to spend long gazing sessions at his painting.He claimed he was looking for inspiration.

After Hitler's suicide, Rochus Misch left the bunker with Hitler's portrait of Frederick the Great on the morning of May 2, but was soon captured by the Russians. The painting then fell in the hands of the Russians.

In Downfall, the scene where Hitler stares at the painting is witnessed by Traudl Junge, who entered in his office to take a document. She leaves the room amazed.

In Downfall Parodies
The scene where Hitler stared at the painting was first parodiated by vzorkic in Fegelein replaces Hitler's favorite painting. Since then it has been used in countless similar parodies.

Fritz is just as edited from this scene just as Karl Koller is from the Hitler Phone Scene.

Trivia

 * The scene where Hitler was gazing at the painting was actually witnessed by Rochus Misch.
 * In The Bunker, O'Donnell quotes Misch: "It was very late, and I thought of course that the Fuhrer had already retired. I went into his study to find something. There was Der Chef, gazing at the picture by candlelight. He was sitting there, motionless, his chin buried in his hand, as if he were in a trance. Hitler was staring at the king. The king seemed to be staring right back. I had barged in, but Hitler took no notice of me. So I tiptoed out. It was like stumbling upon someone at prayer".