NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — One of the most well-known french impressionists spent an important chapter of his life on esplanade avenue.

“People come and say I studied Degas, I never knew he went to New Orleans. He came here after the franco-prussian war and he’s kind like, i don’t know what i want to do with my art, and when he comes here, he changes into his impressionistic style. He did 18 major works of art in the four and a half months he was here,” said Joan Prados.

His shift in style can be seen in these two paintings.

“So the cotton office was very important and then he does another picture called the cotton merchants and you see a change in the style from the very realistic into what we consider the impressionistic style.” 

Tour guide Joan Prados is an expert on Edgar degas… After all… He’s ‘uncle edgar’ to her.

“We had actually some degas original sculptures when i was a child, young, that we played with, the bronzes! (laughs)”

The house is part museum, part art gallery.

“And the most important part of this is our position in history as the only home or studio of Degas anywhere in the world, which I did not know in the beginning,” said David Vllarrubia

David Vllarrubia turned this into a bed and breakfast 30 years ago.

It’s an upscale bed and breakfast, with many amenities, like sherry in the rooms..and then we became licensed to do weddings.

We just won our 10th consecutive best of weddings from theknot.com”

Brides can re-enact this balcony scene, in the exact place where Degas painted his cousin Mathilde, more than a century ago.

Stop by the Degas House for brunch or a tour… 2022 marks the 150th anniversary of the artist’s visit to New Orleans.