The Obsequies of an Egyptian Cat, John Reinhard Weguelin

Link is to zoomable version on Google Art Project; high-res downloadable image on Wikimedia Commons; original is in the Auckland Art Gallery.

Victorian art lovers were fascinated with ancient cultures and settings, particularly those of ancient Egypt, and this image of obsequies (funeral rites) for the mummy of a household cat fills the bill.

There are lots of appealing details in the vases stands and offerings, as well as the extensive set of hieroglyphs on the wall. I like the stairs, statuary and glimpse of daylight through the entrance at the upper right.

The Garden Steps Leading to the Artist’s Studio on Blegdammen, Christen Købke

Oil on paper laid on canvas, roughly 9 x 13 inches (22 x 33 cm). Link is to zoomable version on Google Art Project; downloadable version on Wikimedia Commons; original is in the National Gallery of Denmark.

I love the odd angle at which he’s approached the building, the compressed indication of the sunlit side and the curve of the bush cradled in the curve of the stairs. There is just something pleasingly gestural about the whole painting, though it’s grounded in solid draftsmanship.