R. Liebhart (German)

[Portrait of a Romanian Sailor] 

Oil pastel on paper

April 1944

Signed to upper right and inscribed to lower left

18 3/4 x 25 in., framed and matted to 27 x 33 in. 

A portrait of a Romanian sailor wearing naval blues and cap reading "Marina Regala". A smaller view of his other profile is seen below in black and white.

Romania, led by Ion Antonescu, joined the Axis Powers in November 1940 and shortly thereafter committed troops to the Eastern Front and invaded the Soviet Union. Constanța, a Romanian port on the Black Sea, was the site of a naval battle on 26 June 1941 and continued to be bombed by the Allies throughout the war. Accompanied by a German inscription that undoubtedly provides greater context. 

Other works by the unidentified German artist R. Liebhart indicate that he was associated with the German Marine Propaganda Kompanien during World War II. The MPK, under the oversight of the Wehrmacht and Goebbels' Ministry of Propaganda, was tasked with creating wartime media that promoted positive perceptions of Nazi forces and their allies among the German populace. Comparable propaganda drawings by Liebahrt depict scenes from military life, such as sailors or soldiers, utilizing media like charcoal and red chalk

Note: This lot cannot be packaged and shipped in-house. Successful bidders winning items marked as being packaged and shipped by a third-party service are responsible for paying the third party directly. We are happy to offer complimentary drop-off service to local third-party packing/shipping companies in Columbus, Ohio.

[Art, Folk Art, Military Art, Etching, Engraving, Lithographs, Prints, Ephemera] [World War II, WWII, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Adolf Hitler, Allied, Axis, George S. Patton, Air Force] [Navy, Naval History, Brown Water Navy, David Glasgow Farragut, David Dixon Porter, Battle of Mobile Bay, Battle of New Orleans, Blockade, Confederate Blockade]