In 1818, the German Romantic painter Caspar David Friedrich sat down with his brushes and created the Monastery Graveyard in the Snow from a series of landscapes depicting winter oak trees in the mist, giving them an eerie, haunted quality.

During the Second World War, Friedrich’s work was associated heavily with the Nazi party, as they used his art to promote their ideals, leading to a reputation that took decades to recover. Sadly, this particular painting can only be found in the black and white photograph depicted on the card, as it was destroyed in a bombing in 1945 Germany.

A fateful end for this work of art, itself depicting a ruined church, likely as a result of war.

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