If you own a work by Ahrens, be it an oil, watercolor, print, or sketch Kim Bullock would love to hear from you. There are a handful of specific paintings she's especially interested in either because they received press or for sentimental reasons. If you happen to own one of them, she would be happy to provide you with any references she has on your painting.
Most of Ahrens work is in private collections, not galleries, which makes it challenging to track down. Bullock is compiling a catalog of known works, including information about the medium, support, dimensions, title, date, and provenance of the piece whenever possible.
Ahrens was known for forest landscapes, but he was initially famous as a portrait painter, and he also painted seascapes, mountainscapes and architectural images, such as the California Missions.
Since his death, Ahrens has earned the dubious reputation of being 'that dark tree painter.' In truth, his paintings are often simply covered in decades worth of grime combined with a homemade varnish that yellows over time. Click here to see how removing the surface grime and old varnish can transform his work.
Below are five known signatures Carl used on his work.
This was the signature used on Ahrens' earliest pieces. I have seen one or two pieces signed Carl von Ahrens.
Typical signature post 1893
Used on prints and sketches
Used on commerical work/illustrations
Used on early commercial work