Greillenstein Castle 1885 - 1886

Anton Romako painted Greillenstein Castle using oil on canvas in the 19th century. The wispy brushstrokes and muted color palette give the castle a dreamlike quality, but don’t let that fool you. The castle is portrayed with remarkable attention to detail. Oil paint allowed Romako to build up layers of texture, capturing the rough surfaces of the stone walls and the delicate foliage of the surrounding trees. The way he used oil paint allowed him to work and rework areas until he got the appearance just right. But also speaks to the value that was attributed to the castle as the subject of the painting. Romako's choice to depict this type of architectural structure elevates the cultural significance of the nobility, reminding us of the power dynamics and the labor involved in constructing and maintaining such grand structures. The painting invites us to consider the social and economic context in which it was created, and its relationship to broader issues of power, labor, and class.