A dramatic still life composition set against a dark, starlit background features a prominent human skull floating above a vibrant array of flowers. The skull is rendered in stark white and gray tones, casting an ominous presence over the scene. Below, a lush arrangement of flowers includes deep red roses, bright yellow sunflowers, pink daisies, and various other blooms in rich, saturated colors. Thin, golden vertical lines streak upward through the darkness like luminous rain or cosmic rays. The right edge of the composition transitions into a fiery orange-red vertical band with abstract flowing forms. The entire image is contained within a decorative border featuring intricate geometric patterns in black and copper tones. The juxtaposition of the skull with the living flowers creates a powerful vanitas theme, reflecting the artwork's title "death medicine 5."