Legend About the Aluksne Castle

1990, tempera, watercolour on paper, 27,5x19,5 cm /// Kārlis Dobrājs (1943) is one of the classics of Latvian painting. The series of drawings was commissioned for the book “Vēja Vanadziņš” (“Windy Accipiter”, 1993). It compiles a selection of artistic representations of Latvian legends and tales, with a visually depicted narrative of the stories themselves. The coloured, hand-drawn illustrations are original works, with each being a one-of-a-kind piece. Dobrājs' illustrations have not only visual quality, but also symbolic and historical value. The collection of folktales collects many legends - about people, nature, magic, God and the Devil, life and death, as well as about the origin of place names. Another popular themes in folktales are manors and castles. The legend about Aluksne Castle describes how the city of Aluksne originated.