This oil by Carl Ahrens measures 25 x 24 inches, painted between 1908 and 1911, likley in Toronto or Leith, Ontario. It originally belonged to General Malcolm S. Mercer and was exhibited in the Public Reference Library (Toronto) in October of 1911. At Mercer's death in 1916, the painting passed to his brother, Frederick. In 1928 the Jenkins Galleries of Toronto auctioned the painting for $350 to a Mr. Farley of Toronto.
Interestingly enough, it appears the painting may have made it's way back into Mercer hands by 1935. In that year, Mrs. Frederick Mercer had an exhibition and sale of many paintings from her late husband's collection. This painting was listed among them. There was no price given or indication of sale.
A painting of the same name that appeared at the Memorial Exhibition of Selected Works by Carl Ahrens, but I am unsure if it was indeed the same painting. The dimensions are listed as 20 x 24, which seems too far off from the dimensions given at the auction in 1928. Perhaps there was a
typographical error in one of the catalogs.
The Uplands
