Why were murals sometimes left unfinished in ancient Egyptian tombs?

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Ancient Egyptian illustration from the Book of the Dead showing Anubis weighing the soul of the scribe Ani, with gods seated above and hieroglyphic text throughout. — Egyptian art and architecture Anubis weighing the soul of the scribe Ani, from the Egyptian Book of the Dead, c. 1275 bce.

In ancient Egyptian tombs, mural decorations were sometimes left unfinished because the work was still in progress at the time of the individual's death and subsequent burial.1

These uncompleted scenes provide valuable historical insight into the artistic process used by ancient Egyptian craftsmen. The preparation of a wall for decoration typically involved marking it with red guidelines, often using a grid system to ensure the correct proportions of human figures. Following these guidelines, preliminary outlines were corrected in black before paint was applied, usually in tempera using mineral-based pigments. When a tomb was sealed for burial, any scenes that had not yet reached the final stages of carving or painting remained in their partially sketched or carved state.1