Hilter’s U-Boat Treasure 1972

Mort Künstler painted this image of divers searching Hitler’s U-Boat Treasure. He’s got a real painterly realism going on. I'm curious about the choice of that sandy sepia color, which feels both nostalgic and watery—it’s like the whole thing’s been soaked in tea. It gives it this eerie feeling, as if it's an old photograph found at the bottom of the sea. I wonder if Künstler was thinking about historical memory. Or maybe, just maybe, he found that color combo pleasing to the eye. Look at that one diver, knife in hand, lunging forward. You can almost feel the tension in his body, the way he cuts through the water. It's like he's driven by this crazy mix of adrenaline and greed. You know, it's interesting how one artist's vision can spark another's. Seeing this, I kind of want to do a series of paintings about treasure hunts. It makes me think of how artists are always diving into the unknown, searching for something valuable to bring back to the surface.