Degas House Tour

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Duration: 2h 15m+
Location: Degas House, 2306 Esplanade Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70119, United States | New Orleans, United States


Category: Attractions

Highlights:
Tour of Degas' home & studio led by his great-grand nieces
Exploration of the French artists' creole heritage & family
Prints of the 18 works Degas produced while in Louisiana
Viewing of an award-winning documentary about Degas' life
Drawings & letters of his 5 months in the Tremé neighborhood

Inclusions:
Guided Degas House tour
Live commentary in English

Description:

Edgar Degas was the only French Impressionist painter to spend time living and working in the United States. On this guided tour of his Esplanade Avenue mansion and studio, explore his family home and rich Creole heritage. (He was born in Paris, but his mother was from New Orleans.)

Between 1872 and 1873, the artist famed for his paintings and sculptures of ballet dancers spent 5 months living with relatives in New Orleans. Degas painted family members and images of life in the South, took a break from the stressful French art scene, and honed his technique before returning to France with new inspiration and resolve. Learn about his time in Louisiana from one of his hospitable great-grand nieces as you tour the elegantly restored house and grounds.

Delve into the history of the French Creoles, Reconstruction Louisiana, and Degas in particular during a viewing of the award-winning documentary Degas in New Orleans, a Creole Sojourn. Admire prints of Degas' 18 New Orleans paintings, his drawings and letters from 1872 and 1873, and the artist's actual studio inside the home.

From there, explore the grounds and the surrounding neighborhood, Esplanade Ridge, a district of Tremé with a rich Creole history. Many of the sites and locations referenced by Degas in letters are still standing. This tour offers a fascinating look at the influence of the Americas on one of France's most celebrated cultural icons.