A visit from friend Thomas brought me insights into my 'Child as Carcass' painting (last below).

The first insight concerned how non-sacred motifs move through art history. The second concerned the notion of 'pastiche' in music works of J.S. Bach (cantatas) and in paintings (e.g., Basquiat's Mona Lisa in Federal Reserve Note). I had forgotten an aspect about pastiche from my earliest music history courses: that the pastiche celebrates or renders homage to the work it imitates; it doesn't mock, as does parody. The third insight was more wish than insight: the desire to see the works 'live', so that I might get a better understanding of how those painters achieved their magnificent results. Thanks, Thomas!