Monastery in Winter Snow (by Karl Lessing) Playing Cards

This design features a painting by the German artist Karl Friedrich Lessing (1808–1880). It shows the Gothic architecture of a monastery building in winter. There is a white covering of snow on the ground and over the fir tree in front of the monastery. There is also a water fountain in the shape of a snake's head: the water has frozen completely in the cold weather and it has been turned to ice. There are gargoyles and statuettes on the arches of the building. The bare brickwork can be seen above the arches: the religious building is constructed from red bricks and stone. The door to the monastery is open and the altar can be seen lit by candlelight. The original artwork was painted circa 1828.