Brian Clarke’s Imitations of Mortality is a series of two paintings from 1988. The works incorporate several of Clarke's recurring motifs, including crosses, computergrams and abstract calligraphic lines. The series takes its title from William Wordsworth’s 1807 poem Ode: Intimations of Mortality, which is characterised by its irregular and shifting rhymes and styles.

Intimations of Mortality II is painted over Roman Triptych from the Tivoli series of 1986. Clarke explains his practice of overpainting in his essay ‘Drawing on Architecture’, published in the 1994 monograph Brian Clarke: Architectural Artist:

"I suppose about one-half of the paintings I make find their way out of the studio and the other half are painted over. I particularly like overpainting finished works as it gives me such rich grounds to play with."