This painting is the artist’s attempt at converting a print of Toby, one of the paintings in the series, The Crying Boy, by artist Giovanni Bragolin (1950s), into a sad young Hitler.
This acrylic portrait captures the mood of the child. The viewer is drawn in by his painfully sad, blue eyes. Facial skin tones that include some yellowing, are in contrast with the child’s dark moustache and hair and the blood red, rich burgundy background.
A red swastika appears on the right lower section of the canvas and was representative of the Nazi Party and Adolf Hitler in WW II.
‘In the Western world, the swastika since the 1930s has mostly been associated with the flag of Nazi Germany, the Nazi Party and Hitler, one of the most hated men who ever lived. However, the swastika was first discovered 12,000 years ago and held both negative and positive meanings.’ (http://www.ancient-origins.net/myths-legends/symbol-swastika-and-its-12000-year-old-history-001312)
Perhaps the message for the viewer could be: ‘Children are impressionable and have the potential to grow into adults who influence history either positively or negatively.’
Acrylic on board, date unknown. (Cleaned and framed.)
Comments