The history of Danube.
Natural frontier, obstacle used in military strategies of the ancient and medieval empires, European line of navigation and trade, the Danube superadds a new value to itself in the first quarter of the XIX-th century, that of cultural landscape conferred by many travel albums and memorials of the western authors.
In 1826 is published in Vienna the album entitled Donau Ansichten, of Jacob Alt (1789-1872), Austrian paysagist, aquarellist and lithographer. It contains many images of the Danube’s Romanian course including a series of pictures taken in the Iron Gates defile. His lithographs have the value of the touristic pictures catching the modernity of the port settings, the feverish action on landing and different types of vessels, placing everything in an advantageous light. True advertisement of the new European lines of navigation, this album publication in the same year with the emergence of the first Austrian navigation companies is not accidental.
Wiliam Henry Bartlett (1809-1854), known English drawer, the author of the illustration of many travel books in exotic places, travels upstream in the Danube’s defile in 1848. In the next year the album The Danube is published containing tree pictures that portray the traditional costume in Orsova, Cazanele and Tabula Traiana. Regarding his albums, it has been said that it represents an invitation to day dream, contemplation and virtual travel.
From the album of the Austrian Karl Begenau, Donau Gegenden, published in Vienna in 1856, we mention a picture taken in Cazane that portrays the gullet and the narrow path dug in the rock on the left bank.
Carol Szatmari (1812-1887), Romanian painter and photographer, interested in ethnographic aspects, he is the author of two water colour paintings portraying, in 1872, the female costume in Orsova.
