This hand painted oil on canvas reproduction of Salvador Dali’s The Enigma of Hitler captures the style and accuracy of the original perfectly. The original was produced in 1939. Since the early thirties Hitler was of great fascination for Dali. Die Zeit, an infamous left wing German publication once described ‘The Enigma of Hitler’ (the man and not the painting) as ‘beyond all human comprehension’ – It seems no coincidence that Dali created this painting.

According to Leon Degrelle (author of The Journal of Historical Review and an acquaintance of Hitler who met Dali during the forties) Dali’s painting sought to unravel the mystery. However, Dali had apparently confessed to him that while he believed the painting to be ‘deeply prophetic’ he had yet to figure out the ‘Hitler enigma’.

The Surrealists regarded the artist’s fascination as a reflection of his ‘dubious moral and political beliefs’ – Something his father had also accused him of when he associated himself with the Surrealists. Ultimately this composition would see him expelled from the Surrealist group. However, Dali fervently denied he was apolitical: That he regarded such dictators and wars as an inexorable element of human nature. The composition combines several dreams Dali had - An umbrella and enormous bat-like telephone hang upon the branches of a barren tree: Spittle dripping onto an empty plate with just a picture of Hitler upon it and a few crumbs. Famine and broken negotiations: A chilling warning from the artist of things to come...