Paul Mathias Padua, “Der 10 Mai. 1940”

[Emmitt06]

Recently picked this up at an auction, after some research I learned that it is a very well framed depiction of Padua’s painting “Der 10. Mai 1940”. My question is what would this be from? It seems to be printed on a cardboard material. It is about 26.5 cm in width and 15.8 cm in height. I appreciate any suggestions, resources, or answers greatly.

[Willmore]

Hi there.

Paul Mathias Padua, postcard, ‘Der 10. May 1940’ (The 10th of May 1940) celebrates the German’s opening of the western offenses. The leader of the 15 men crossing the Rhine (to the French side) was depicted as someone who was beckoning the whole nation to follow him with an almost religious gesture; he was the leader, but also their comrade. Padua, engaged as a war artist as a part of the Propagandakompagnie, was wounded when he was painting this scene. Later he finished the painting in his atelier in Munich.

Paul Mathias Padua, Junge Bauerin | GermanArt

Kind regards,

Will.

[Emmitt06]

Hello, thank you for some extra info! I considered this being some kind of postcard but wouldn’t this be too large? And on cardboard at that. I found some examples of “Der 10. Mai 1940” postcards and all I saw had a white border as an outline which this lacks.

[Willmore]

No worries.

I would imagine that it would have been reproduced in many sizes and this would be a larger example that was intended to be displayed as a painting.