La Toilette des Morts, from "Illustrated London News" 1863

"La Toilette des Morts" is a wood engraving by William Luson Thomas, created in 1863 and now held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The image depicts the process of preparing a deceased woman's hair, likely for her burial. The detailed engraving captures the somber mood of the scene, highlighting the contrast between the solemnity of death and the meticulous care given to the deceased. The work was originally published in *Illustrated London News* and serves as a reminder of Victorian-era mourning rituals and the artistic representation of death in 19th-century art.