Renate Bertlmann’s 'Four Seasons' (1988) is the artist’s representation of an 'ex-voto', historically a votive offering to a saint or divinity.

In the work, four reliefs of a skull adorned with a crown of flowers and sparkling gems appear against a dark background. Reminiscent of the painted skulls of the Hallstatt Charnel House or the colourful Mexican sugar calaverar of the Día de los Muertos, 'Four Seasons' (1988) mixes religious iconography with the representation of a memento mori. In dialogue with the 16th and 17th century artist genre of the vanitas, this work constitutes a reflection on the transience of life.