Degas in New Orleanss

Cotton Warehouse in New Orleans/Edouard Degas

DEGAS IN NEW ORLEANS
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As we explore New Orleans and share it with you, I thought you would like to know Degas has a house here that is still in existence. In the fall of 1872 he came to visit his family on his Mothers side.  His Mother was a Creole from New Orleans.  To Degas this was exciting and exotic. 

Edouard Degas in New Orleans

  The Cotton Warehouse is one of several art works Degas completed while living here.  This is a description of his time in New Orleans by Christopher Benfey in his book on Degas.


 "His mother, Celestine Musson Degas, had been born in New Orleans into a prominent Creole family. Over the centuries, "Creole" has meant many different things. For the Degas-Musson family it meant that Celestine was descended from some of the original French and Spanish settlers of New Orleans.  His visit is something of a legend in New Orleans, told and retold with the casual disregard for historical accuracy that affects many New Orleans memories, but it is barely known elsewhere. The journey to New Orleans marked a key moment in Degas's career, however. Distracted and stalled in his profession on his arrival, he left the city with a new sense of direction and resolve. He also took with him, in his portfolio and his mind, several unforgettable images of New Orleans life.
As chance would have it, Degas's five-month sojourn in New Orleans coincided with an extraordinarily contentious period in the stormy political history of the city. One could argue that it was the decisive moment in Reconstruction New Orleans, as the city, under Federal control and under the constant threat of military occupation, tried to recover from the ravages of the Civil War. Degas's American relatives were among the leaders in this political upheaval."

Seated Woman on Balcony/New Orleans