The masterpiece of the genre is Max Ernst's superb «
Europa nach dem Regen» («Europe after the Rains,» 1942), which uses the titular climate change as a metaphor for the destructive forces of war and politics.
The auratic sceneries of this painting series appear under glowing veils of mist: Be it deserted landscapes, expansive skies, mountaintops or rocky coasts, gigantic towers or fragile electricity pylons as relics of human civilization... Steeped in a solemn atmosphere, «
Europa nach dem Regen» seems to be heavy with meaning.