Leni Riefenstahl

(German, 1902–2003)

Leni Riefenstahl was a German actress and director known for her Nazi propaganda films Triumph of the Will (1935) and Olympia (1938). The controversial nature of her relationship with Adolf Hitler cast a long shadow over the career. Despite this, Riefenstahl’s work remains a premier example of pioneering cinematography techniques, including tracking shots and slow motion. “Where is my guilt? I can regret. I can regret that I made the party film, Triumph of the Will, in 1934. But I cannot regret that I lived in that time,” she once explained. “No anti-Semitic word has ever crossed my lips. I was never anti-Semitic. I did not join the party.” Born Helene Bertha Amalie Riefenstahl on August 22, 1902 in Berlin, Germany, she pursued dancing as child, going on to perform interpretive dance around Germany as a young woman. A foot injury led Riefenstahl to end her dancing career and she began acting in mid-1920s. She famously starred in the successful G.W. Pabst film The White Hell of Piz Palü (1929). Transitioning from acting to directing, she was introduced to the Führer during the early 1930s. Smitten with the young filmmaker, Hitler offered her the rare opportunity to direct films for the Nazi party. After World War II, Reifenstahl was the subject of four denazification proceedings, which found her to be an active Nazi sympathizer, though innocent of any war crimes. During the latter half of her career, the artist spent much of her time in Africa, documenting the indigenous Nuba tribe in Sudan in a series of striking color photographs. She died at the age of 101 on September 8, 2002 in Pöckling, Germany.

Related Categories

Photography

Related Artists

Arnold Fanck

Leni Riefenstahl Artworks

Artworks for Sale &
Auction Results

Leni Riefenstahl (532 results)
Study of flags, 1936 Olympics

Attributed to Leni Riefenstahl

Study of flags, 1936 Olympics

Sale Date: November 19, 2003

Auction Closed

Olympic Games, 1936–1936

Leni Riefenstahl

Olympic Games, 1936–1936

Sale Date: November 18, 2003

Auction Closed

Nuba, 1960–1969

Leni Riefenstahl

Nuba, 1960–1969

Sale Date: October 31, 2003

Auction Closed

Nuba, 1960–1969

Leni Riefenstahl

Nuba, 1960–1969

Sale Date: October 31, 2003

Auction Closed

Filmstill, 1942–1944

Leni Riefenstahl

Filmstill, 1942–1944

Sale Date: October 31, 2003

Auction Closed

Selbstportrait, 1930–1939

Leni Riefenstahl

Selbstportrait, 1930–1939

Sale Date: October 30, 2003

Auction Closed

The flame from Greece, 1936–1936

Leni Riefenstahl

The flame from Greece, 1936–1936

Sale Date: October 21, 2003

Auction Closed

Selbstporträt

Leni Riefenstahl

Selbstporträt

Sale Date: September 27, 2003

Auction Closed

Olympiade, 1936–1936

Leni Riefenstahl

Olympiade, 1936–1936

Sale Date: June 4, 2003

Auction Closed

Im olympischen Dorf, 1936–1936

Leni Riefenstahl

Im olympischen Dorf, 1936–1936

Sale Date: May 30, 2003

Auction Closed

Shuhei Nishida - Japan, Silbermedaille, 1936–1936

Leni Riefenstahl

Shuhei Nishida - Japan, Silbermedaille, 1936–1936

Sale Date: May 30, 2003

Auction Closed

Nuba Mann, 1960–1969

Leni Riefenstahl

Nuba Mann, 1960–1969

Sale Date: May 23, 2003

Auction Closed

Olympic Games, 1936–1936

Leni Riefenstahl

Olympic Games, 1936–1936

Sale Date: May 21, 2003

Auction Closed

Diver, 1936–1936

Leni Riefenstahl

Diver, 1936–1936

Sale Date: May 21, 2003

Auction Closed

Nishida, Japan, silver medalist in the..., 1936–1936

Leni Riefenstahl

Nishida, Japan, silver medalist in the..., 1936–1936

Sale Date: May 15, 2003

Auction Closed

Long jumper, Olympics, Berlin, 1936–1936

Leni Riefenstahl

Long jumper, Olympics, Berlin, 1936–1936

Sale Date: February 10, 2003

Auction Closed

Nuba-Ringkämpfer, 1960–1969

Leni Riefenstahl

Nuba-Ringkämpfer, 1960–1969

Sale Date: December 7, 2002

Auction Closed

Hauftmann Nannerick, 1936–1936

Leni Riefenstahl

Hauftmann Nannerick, 1936–1936

Sale Date: December 5, 2002

Auction Closed

Nishida, Japan, Silbermedaille im..., 1936–1936

Leni Riefenstahl

Nishida, Japan, Silbermedaille im..., 1936–1936

Sale Date: November 28, 2002

Auction Closed

Weitsprung, 1936–1936

Leni Riefenstahl

Weitsprung, 1936–1936

Sale Date: November 28, 2002

Auction Closed

Unter dem Wasserspiegel nach dem Sprung, 1936–1936

Leni Riefenstahl

Unter dem Wasserspiegel nach dem Sprung, 1936–1936

Sale Date: November 28, 2002

Auction Closed

Die Nuba, 1960–1969

Leni Riefenstahl

Die Nuba, 1960–1969

Sale Date: November 7, 2002

Auction Closed

Die Nuba, 1960–1969

Leni Riefenstahl

Die Nuba, 1960–1969

Sale Date: November 7, 2002

Auction Closed

Die Nuba, zwei Leierspieler im Dorf..., 1960–1969

Leni Riefenstahl

Die Nuba, zwei Leierspieler im Dorf..., 1960–1969

Sale Date: November 7, 2002

Auction Closed

English (US)

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