The artwork, titled “Vilno. Ruins of castle”, was created by Nicholas Roerich in 1903. It is part of the Art Nouveau (Modern) and Realism movements, and belongs to the landscape genre. This piece is included in Roerich’s series “Sketches from travels in old Russian cities.”
This landscape painting depicts the ruins of an ancient castle. The crumbling stone structures dominate the composition, rendered in earthy tones of brown and red, which contrast with the lush green of the hillside beneath. The brushwork is textural and expressive, providing a sense of the age and character of the ruins. The sky is depicted in light hues which differ from the intense colors of the castle and ground, drawing attention to the central subject of the ruins. The overall mood of the artwork suggests a reflection on the passage of time and the remnants of historical grandeur.
