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Allison Baker

English 1201

Professor Loudermilk

07 July 2019

Art as Propaganda

Piled against the wall are thousands of rugged, beat up, dirty shoes, stained brown from

the ash and decayed souls of children. These shoes once walked the streets of Germany carrying

life within them. I was in eighth grade when I took a trip to the Holocaust museum in

Washington D.C. and still this sight, as if it were a memory I lived through, haunts me. Reading

about the holocaust gives logic, but seeing these shoes, the photos, and artworks of this event

cloaks anyone who visits this place with despair, grief, and anger as if the experience is shared. If

art could create a visual impact strong enough to put one in another’s shoes and move them to

tears, it is strong enough to create a bloodthirsty dictator and start a War that ends the lives of

millions.

Art is a broad term but is defined simply: “The expression or application of human

creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form such as painting or sculpture, producing

works to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power” (Oxford). Looking

beyond this definition, art is a propogandist tool. There is a motive behind every artwork to

influence a certain emotion on an audience so they will perform wanted actions. Hitler is one of

the most well-known master manipulators of art and propaganda, so focusing on how he used

these tools to become the most powerful dictator in the world is helpful to understanding art as

propaganda. It is a common misconception that Hitler’s mishandling of artwork is irrelevant

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today and this shows that the world does not recognize how all art is a form of propaganda. This

is a major issue, but there are solutions.

In order to fathom Hitler’s influence on today’s art, one must understand his early

relationship with art. At a young age of 18, Hitler applied to the Vienna Academy of Art, but was

denied acceptance. His dream of becoming a famous artist was crushed and his hatred towards

Vienna grew strong. He then dreamt of to making up for this loss by becoming the most

powerful man to walk the earth and afflicting death on millions to create a perfect race all while

creating the largest art empire in the world. Peter Schjeldahl, a staff writer for The New Yorker, a

known magazine critic, and art historian, explains in his article “Hitler as an Artist” of Hitler’s

early relationship with art. He also tells of the Williamstown, Massachusetts’ exhibit called

“Prelude to a Nightmare,” which explores the artistic culture Hitler was exposed to, and later

degraded, while addressing the paths of good and evil that humanity took in the past and will

continue to take in the future. He argues, “We must remain vigilant against malevolence, and we

should regard beauty as the fundamentally amoral phenomenon that it is” (Schjeldahl). He

further states that humanity should not group evil and beauty as one because this leads to

confusion and betrayal, which is often the trap humanity falls into today with the interpretation

of art. Hitler used art to mask his malevolence and bitterness, which influenced humanity to fall

victim to its prey. Art was used as a form of propaganda and dominance then and continues to be

used similarly today.

The understanding of propaganda remains crucial to addressing Hitler’s rise to success.

Obviously, the concept of propaganda must be important since Hitler used it to persuade

millions, but how does one begin to characterize propaganda? Much like art, propaganda creates

a lasting impact on its viewer, which becomes a mindset, which becomes a lifestyle. The two
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concepts become intertwined. Todd Belt, a writer and director at the Graduate School of Political

Management, writes of propaganda from the Encyclopedia of American Government and Civics.

He speaks of simplification and emotion being the two roots of successful propaganda, both of

which Hitler succeeded in (Belt). “Propaganda provides shortcuts to audiences in helping them

deal with the complexities of real-world politics” (Belt). This shows how Hitler was able to

simplify very extreme government issues in order to communicate with his audience. After

receiving the attention of his audience, he induced fear and panic on them. “Fear of an enemy or

eventuality can also be used in propaganda in conjunction with more positive emotions, such as

hope and pride” (Belt). Finally, he comforts and provides hope to his people with images of

prosperity, resilience, and pride in Germany through forms of artwork, such as the Swastika.

According to an article titled “This History of the Swastika” by The United States Holocaust

Memorial Museum, an educational cite used to inform audiences of the Holocaust, “The

swastika became the most recognizable icon of Nazi propaganda, appearing on the flag referred

to by Hitler in Mein Kampf, as well as on election posters, arm bands, medallions, and badges for

military and other organizations” (The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum). This

symbol serves as a form of both arts, because of its emotional power and expression of German

pride, and as propaganda, due to its enforcement of fear and hope on Nazi-Germany citizens

(The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum). The Swastika’s mass production had the

capability to influence millions due to its regular appearance and bold design, which shows the

powerful relationship between art and propaganda. This symbol is only one example of how art

and propaganda become intertwined as there have been many similar strategies seen today,

which is why the importance of recognizing an artwork’s hidden message should be crucial to

everyone.
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Fig. 1. This cartoon shows Hitler smashing a degenerate artwork, symbolizing the

reconstruction of Germany (Yad Vashem).

The techniques used by Hitler that still contribute to daily life become clear once

explained. Yad Vashem, a world holocaust remembrance center for information, education,

documentation, and research offers plenty of resources about the Holocaust. This article titled

“Propaganda and the Visual Arts in the Third Reich” teaches students how to recognize

propaganda techniques used during Hitler’s reign so that they may be cognizant of the same

techniques used today. The cartoon displayed above was published by a right-wing German

newspaper. The artist is a man with Jewish features presenting a chaotic sculpture, representing

the degenerate art that Nazis ridiculed. The disappearance of the Jewish man foreshadows the

doomed fate of the Jews while glorifying Hitler. Nazis used propaganda like this to control the

public’s emotional appeal towards Hitler’s plan to reconstruct Germany. It was successful

because the visual images are attractive, simplify complicated issues, and are more easily

remembered. This example specifically addresses the key components of reading a propaganda

poster in a step by step format by asking the students questions regarding the content and context
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of the comic such as “How is the modern artist represented in this cartoon? Why does the artist

organize these four frames in this order, with two panels over two panels? What does the cartoon

suggest is the role for art in Nazi Germany?” (Yad Vashem). Teaching students how Hitler used

artwork as a propaganda tool allows readers to understand how artworks played a vital role in

determining the success of leaders today. For people to recognize hidden messages behind

artworks, they must be taught the steps to do this in school at an early age.

Fig 2. This image the poster created by Shepherd Fairey to support voting for Obama (Scott).

People who live in countries with basic freedoms are still exposed to similar propaganda

techniques that Hitler used, which explains the relevance of studying his handling of artwork.

Shepherd Fairey created a poster for Barack Obama titled “Hope,” as shown above. This poster,

while not supporting a totalitarian leader, did have a major influence on Obama’s political

campaign. It became a symbol of progression and hope for America, much like the Swastika did

for Germany. Mac Scott, a writer for A Medium Corporation, tells in his article titled “Obama

Hope Poster- Shepard Fairey (2008)” of the poster’s inspiration and its influence over the

American people. He states “Fairey desired to construct more than just a portrait, he wanted his
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art to convey genuine meaning, to resonate Obama’s idealism. Fairey wanted to appeal to, and

energize, a progressive audience that would be motivated to not only support Obama but to

advocate others to do the same” (Scott). Although this poster supported a leader very different

from Adolf Hitler in a country with very different circumstances, there is a clear motive in this

artwork, which categorizes it as propaganda. Its purpose is to create a positive, hopeful, emotion

on its audience in order to encourage citizens to vote for Obama. “The demand for the portrait

was so large that over the course of Obama’s campaign a total of 350,000 posters and 500,000

stickers were produced” (Scott). Because of the piece’s popularity and mass production, it

obviously held tremendous effects on how the American people viewed Obama as a political

leader. It is safe to say Obama did not cause the country issues as great as what Hitler contributed

to Germany, let alone the world, but the visual and psychological effects of this poster clearly

emphasize that people are easily influenced by art, which further supports the importance of

understanding the motive coming from every voice of artistic expression. This is why Hitler’s use

of art as a political motive still applies to the world today and why people need to be made aware

of how to read art.

Not only did Hitler use art as a main platform to directly support his character, but he

controlled every artist’s production of artwork and what pieces were acceptable to show at

exhibits. By acknowledging his influence on the art market, people will recognize the lasting

effects on humanity when someone obtains enough power to control an entire population’s

perception of art. This shows the importance of why people need to learn how to interpret art

correctly. The writer Dr. Nausikaa El-Mecky, a lecturer at a university in Berlin, wrote an article

titled “Art in Nazi Germany” for Smarthistory, an educational organization which allows people

to learn about art freely. Two exhibitions reflected art culture of 1937 Germany: The Great
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Exhibition of German Art showed Nazi Germany’s classical, heroic ideals while the Degenerate

Art Exhibition showcased rejected artworks, which were experimental, personal, abstract, and,

most of all, wrong (El-Mecky). She says “a four-year battle was fought all the way to the top

echelons of the Nazi hierarchy over what art was supposed to be, exactly. The opinions on this

could not have been more contradictory” (El Mecky). It is made clear that Hitler was not the only

one to hold art to such a high importance. If it took four years of extensive arguing to decide

which artwork was deemed acceptable to showcase, this proves the importance political leaders

placed on artwork’s influence over their citizens. This is also why the art market of today should

be read more carefully because behind every picture is money, power, and major influence.

The short-lived Bauhaus art school contributes to how decisions of Nazi Germany still

influence the world today. This school acted as a powerhouse for artistic genius of experimental

work and marks another way Hitler changed the ripple in artistic style. Darran Anderson, an

author and writer for CityLab, writes of the Bauhaus in his essay “How the Bauhaus Kept the

Nazis at Bay.” He writes “Gropius’s (director of the Bauhaus) aim was to introduce soul into the

age of the machine. The Nazis’ was to introduce the machine into the soul” (Darran). The

Bauhaus was destroyed after only 14 years of production and many of the teachers and students

were forced into exile or internment camps. After seeing how Hitler ridiculed artwork, set

extensive boundaries against the production of art, and made it impossible for artists to freely

express themselves, people may argue that Hitler could not have contributed to the styles of art

today because they are the extreme opposite of what he approved of then. The Bauhaus, although

greatly influenced by the dominance of the Nazi Regime, still holds a tremendous impact on

artwork throughout the world. Despite the trials for students and teachers, some moved across

major cities around the world and took their teachings with them. After WW2 and Hitler’s
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downfall, people began to rebel against the styles Nazi Germany approved of. This sparked an

explosion of creative thought and a shift in artistic expression occurred. A domino effect began

after abstract expressionism erupted, which influenced many other movements such as pop art,

minimalism, neo-expressionism, and conceptual art. Art is always in response to what came

before it, so despite the harsh treatment of artwork and the Bauhaus, these events ultimately

shaped the art the world sees today.

Hitler’s art collection was fueled by the thought of creating an art empire in his hometown,

Linz. Zuzaka Stanska, an art historian and founder of the Daily Art Magazine website, writes an

article titled “Hitler’s Unrealized Museum,” which explains Hitler’s obsession and massive

exploration in collecting art. “The museum complex…was to include an opera house, a hotel, a

parade ground, theater, a library which could house volumes as many as a quarter of a million…

the plan included about 36 kilometers of galleries…these galleries were to showcase 27,000 art

objects” (Stanska). Through showcasing every aspect of art, this museum would succeed in

being the most massive and extravagant form of propaganda by expressing Hitler’s dominance

and power over Europe. “The museum and the paintings inside were to reflect the Neo-Classical

style in order to portray the Third Reich as powerful as the Roman empire” (Stanska). These

styles of artwork refer to a time where art’s main purpose was to elevate rulers of Rome and

Greece, an obvious use of propaganda. Since Hitler planned to use the same tactic of displaying

works of this era in this style and creating a massive art capital, it is clear how art and

propaganda become one. The extent at which Hitler planned to dominate all forms of artistic

expression shows how influential art was then and why teachings of art history should be

required.
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Hitler’s rampage of looting artwork was surprisingly extensive and holds lasting effects

on the world today. Studying these events, people are better able to understand how interpreting

artwork is so important due to its lasting effects on the world. Kimberly Alderman, a lawyer who

practices cultural property law, writes a scholarly article titled “Art Crime,” referencing The

Encyclopedia of Criminology and Criminal Justice. She speaks of art theft and its heavy

influence over other organizational crimes, selling of illegal antiques that causes legal trouble for

the consumers, and how art theft is sometimes motivated by politics, as seen in WW2. Around

100,000 pieces were removed and held secretly, and the lasting effects of Hitler’s lootings are

issues of origin and high-profit legal cases for return (Adlerman). Although this happened long

ago, many artworks remain unfound and art theft remains a major problem worldwide. Adlerman

also states, “The Federal Bureau of Investigation cites art crime as the third-highest-grossing

annual criminal trade worldwide, generating an estimated US$6 billion in annual criminal profit”

(Alderman). Art theft is still an extremely popular criminal activity and people must address

these concerns in order to prevent future issues. By understanding how Hitler’s art lootings hold

lasting effects on the world today, people can understand how the art theft of today will influence

the future.

Whether people acknowledge Hitler’s use of art as a driving force to his success or not,

most do not accept that all art is a form of propaganda in today’s world, while it is evident in

daily life. In order to make people understand how to find hidden propaganda in artwork, basic

art history classes must be required in all grade schools. These courses should cover basic

historical periods such as classical styles of ancient Greece and Rome to contemporary art. These

courses should also help students understand the process of how to decipher a piece of artwork

by questioning its function, content, and context. Through incorporating these classes, students
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will gain a broader understanding of Art History and how it affects everyone’s lives daily. Shelly

Esaack, a writer for ThoughtCo., an online learning cite, who has a degree in illustration and

minor in art history, tells the importance of studying art history. She says, “No matter which

piece of art or architecture you see, there were personal, political, sociological and religious

factors behind its creation” (Esaack). This expresses how every piece of art contains a motive,

which is why all art should be considered a form of propaganda today. The world is becoming

more visual due to the visual stimulation set by social media, technology and advertising and

people are shifting to visual thinking over verbal thinking (Esaack). This means that learning

how to process these images is vital in a world where they are so evident. Since art history is not

a required class for most schools across the country, students are unable to gain these skills for

processing art. By passing legislation for art history classes to be required and supporting

funding for art programs, students are able to gain the skills for interpreting and questioning all

forms of artwork.

Even if these classes are required, people may believe that they will take away from the

learning of other subjects. The International Studies in History and Business of Art and Culture

is a school who’s website also includes reasons for studying art history. It states “It is important

because it gives you exposure to other humanities subjects, relating them to draw conclusions

and critical evaluation of different artworks. The learning process also helps to learn about

crucial times in history and know exactly how the experience of that timeline was like”

(International Studies in History and Business of Art and Culture). “Not only will studying art

history help with the interpretation of art itself, but it will help open minds to other humanities

subjects and help students draw conclusions and form critical thinking processes in other

subjects. Arti history courses provide successful learning tools that go beyond basic facts of
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paintings and artifacts. They enrich the minds of students and provide them with lessons about

the past to help prepare them for the future.

The common misconception that Hitler’s mishandling of artwork is irrelevant today is

false and shows how people often do not take into consideration that every artwork is a hidden

form of propaganda. Hitler used art to control the minds of millions and he influenced the style

and art market the world sees today. Through the enforcement of art history classes, people are

made aware that behind every picture there is a motive to influence millions.
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Works Cited

Alderman, Kimberly. "Art Crime." The Encyclopedia of Criminology and Criminal Justice, Jay

S. Albanese, Wiley, 1st edition, 2014. Credo Reference,

http://sinclair.ohionet.org/login?url=https://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/wile

ycacj/art_crime/0?institutionId=6043. Accessed 20 Jul. 2019.

Anderson, Darran. “How the Bauhaus Kept the Nazis at Bay, Until It Couldn't.” CityLab, 26

Apr. 2019, www.citylab.com/design/2019/03/walter-gropius-bauhaus-art-school-nazi-

germany-anniversary/583999/. Accessed 19 Jul. 2019.

Belt, Todd. "propaganda." Encyclopedia of American Government and Civics, Michael A.and

Han Genovese, and Lori Cox, Facts On File, 2nd edition, 2017. Credo Reference,

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opaganda/0?institutionId=6043. Accessed 19 Jul. 2019.

Dr. Nausikaä El-Mecky, “Art in Nazi Germany.” Smarthistory, 9 Aug. 2015,

smarthistory.org/art-in-nazi-germany/. Accessed 05 Jul. 2019.

Esaak, Shelley. “Why You Should Study Art History.” ThoughtCo, ThoughtCo, 23 May 2019,

www.thoughtco.com/why-should-i-study-art-history-183255.

Mac Scott. “Obama Hope Poster - Shepard Fairey (2008).” Medium, FGD1 The Archive, 6 Nov.

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Accessed 19 Jul. 2019.

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Master-Iesa. “Why Study Art History?” IESA International, 5 Apr. 2019,

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Oxford. “Art: Definition of Art in English by Lexico Dictionaries.” Lexico Dictionaries |

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