Florilegia are flower books that were created in the 15th and 16th centuries in the course of the thirst for research and discovery and represent a link between natural history illustrations and still lifes. They served as a kind of model and paved the way for detailed paintings that would later become firmly established in art as flower pieces or flower still lifes. Leaf discoloration, which normally occurs in autumn or when plants wither, is emphasized by the colour contrast in the painting. Threatened plants may still be standing upright in the vase, but their color indicates their impending death. These vanitas still lifes thus show the transience of earthly life, reminding us to “remember to die”. They call on the viewer to protect nature and care for biodiversity.

Originally, the development of this art form was significantly influenced by historical circumstances; today, Ruth Mateus-Berr's post-conceptual painting is determined by climate-related environmental changes.