Nieder-Oesterreich Ruinen des Schlosses Werfenstein

Title

Nieder-Oesterreich Ruinen des Schlosses Werfenstein

Description

Very beautiful hand-colored view of the Werfenstein castle ruins, today in Upper Austria. On the right, the Danube with a boat. From "Zwey hundert vier und sechszig Donau-Ansichten", drawn by Jakob Alt (1789–1872).

ca. 1826

Artist

Kunike Adolf Friedrich (1777-1838)

Adolf Kunike was a student at the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts in 1804. From 1808 to 1810 he studied history painting in Rome. In 1816 Kunike made contact with Alois Senefelder in Munich. In 1817 he opened his own lithographic institute in Vienna. Initially active as an artist herself, Kunike later limited herself to lithographic reproduction and the management of her own company, which became the foster home of artist's lithography, especially portraits and landscapes. He published series works, the most important of which are the two hundred and sixty Danube views according to the course of the Danube river from its origin to its outflow into the Black Sea ... which Kunike published in three editions in 1820, 1824, 1826. The majority of the pictures appearing in this work are by Jakob Alt.

Historical Description

Werfenstein Castle is situated above the Danube near Struden in Upper Austria. First documented in the 13th century, the medieval fortress served to control river traffic through the dangerous Strudengau section of the Danube. After several changes of ownership, the castle gradually lost its military importance and fell into decay. Parts of the historic structure have survived to the present day.