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Gustav Gerhard Kieseritzky. Gutman’s cave and Turaida castle, 1813. Water-colour painting.
LAB.
Building of the Turaida stone castle for Riga Bishop Albert was started in 1214 on the site of the previously burnt down
wooden stronghold of Kaupo, the ruler of the Gauja Livs. The castle was the centre of Bishopric, later – the centre of Bailiwick –
an administrative unit of Archbishopric. Several times it came under Order’s control. After secularization of Archbishopric, the
castle often changed hands. It was inhabited until the great fire in 1776, when the buildings burnt down. This drawing is included
in the album of J.Ch.Brotze works. It seems to be older – made before the great fire of 1776. The whole roofs on the buildings
of the large semi-round tower and residential building bear witness about that. In 1813, the drawing might be drawn anew and
given to Ch. Brotze. This view has been used in the works of Ch.Brotze and his foster-son Ernst Markus Ulprecht and Johann
Wilhelm Krause. All drawings repeat the same pecularity – the large semi-round tower is depicted the wrong way – with
quadrangular side towards spectator. The dominance of the castle – the main tower is depicted in ruinous condition. In the
foregound of the drawing – Gutman’s cave. A man has supported the ladder at the wall, engraves inscription.