After returning to Paris in the summer of 1874, he commenced numerous large Egypt-themed compositions, among them several ambitious reconstructions of antique Egyptian life.

The ancient Egyptians used funerary boats made of wood to transport mummified corpses across the Nile to the western bank, where most burials took place.

Near the stern of the barge, a group of female professional mourners are depicted, while two priests are standing on the other side of the sarcophagus, in front of an altar.

[1] Dotting the water's surface alongside the funeral barge are colorful flowers which have been tossed into the river by the mourners.

[4] The background of the painting is formed by a low-ranging view of the river shoreline and the sky, with the yellow and orange colors of a sunset dominating the scene.

Bridgman also had personal contact with the noted Egyptologist Gaston Maspero, who may have provided him with details about the funeral rites.

[7][2] The painting was praised for its artistic quality, authenticity and strong academic method and was described by art critic Earl Shinn as a "masterpiece".

[9] On the occasion of the exhibition of Funeral of a Mummy on the Nile at the 1878 Exposition Universelle, Goupil & Cie issued a series of photogravure reproductions of the painting.