A recurring theme in older art is the vanitas motif, which expresses the transience of life. In Four Skulls and a Baby, Death’s presence is underscored by the obvious symbolism of the skulls, and the hourglass that reminds us that time is running out.
Barthel Beham made several prints with similar motifs and demonstrates his skill by realistically rendering skulls from different angles. Beham was descended from a family of artists in Nuremberg, where his brother Hans Sebald Beham too was a successful printmaker. The brothers followed in Dürer’s footsteps, but Barthel was considered one of the most skilled Kleinmeisters. He also reputedly worked in Marcantonio Raimondi’s workshop.
