# Friedrich August von Kaulbach artist context and auction value notes

Canonical page: https://appraisily.com/artist/friedrich-august-von-kaulbach/
Profile generated: 2026-05-31T10:43:26.000Z
Quality: high confidence, strong sources

## Artist identity

- Birth date: 1850-06-02
- Death date: 1920-07-26
- Nationality: German
- Movements: German academic painting, Munich School
- Common media: Oil on canvas

## About Friedrich August von Kaulbach

Friedrich August von Kaulbach (1850–1920) was a German painter best known for his portraits and historical compositions. Born in Munich on June 2, 1850, he was the son of the painter Friedrich Kaulbach and grew up within a prominent artistic family. He trained in the academic tradition and was active from 1871 until his death in 1920. Kaulbach spent formative periods in Italy (1873–1874) and Paris (1883–1885), absorbing influences from both Southern European classicism and French salon culture. His reputation rests on dignified portraiture of leading contemporary figures and carefully composed historical scenes, placing him within the broader current of Munich School academic painting during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

## Common works and media

Kaulbach worked predominantly in oil on canvas. His output includes formal portraits of civic, cultural, and aristocratic figures, as well as large-scale historical and allegorical paintings. Smaller-format portrait studies and preparatory drawings may also surface on the secondary market. Prints or reproductions after his major compositions occasionally appear and should be distinguished from original works.

## Market and appraisal context

Friedrich August von Kaulbach's works appear at auction primarily as oil paintings — portraits and historical subjects on canvas. Collectors evaluating a Kaulbach work should consider the sitter's prominence, the painting's scale, condition, and documented provenance. A key attribution concern is distinguishing his work from that of his father, Friedrich Kaulbach (1822–1903), who painted in a similar academic style. References in standard catalogues such as Thieme/Becker and Bénézit support attribution confidence, but specialist review is advisable for unsigned or undocumented works.

## Appraisily data basis

This Appraisily artist page combines structured artist-identity research from library authority files and biographical databases with available auction records, sale dates, realized prices, and comparable lot data when those records are present in the Appraisily database.

## Sources

- RKD — Netherlands Institute for Art History: https://rkd.nl/en/explore/artists/43648
- Wikidata: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q447963
- Getty Vocabulary Program: https://vocab.getty.edu/page/ulan/500002970
- VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/39650116/
- Library of Congress: https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n81010957
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friedrich_August_von_Kaulbach