FEBRUARY 2 | EDGAR DEGAS IN NEW ORLEANS | 6:00 PM

The year 2023 marks the 150th anniversary of iconic French artist Edgar Degas’ 1872  visit to New Orleans and New York. Historian, professor, author and playwright Rosary Hartel O’Neill wrote the play Degas in New Orleans, centered on this trip. With her co-author, Rory O’Neill Schmitt, Rosary also penned a nonfiction book titled Edgar Degas in New Orleans, which recounts Degas’ time in New Orleans. Both authors will be at The Garden District Book Shop to celebrate their work. 

The grit and grandeur of New Orleans gave rise to an icon of French Impressionism. Even though he had longed to visit his departed mother’s birthplace his entire life, Edgar Degas didn’t make it to New Orleans until he was on the cusp of forty. He found the Crescent City wracked with post-Civil War devastation even as his brother plunged the family toward bankruptcy and scandal. But in the midst of turmoil, Degas still found inspiration. Indeed, Degas’ dramatic time in New Orleans led him on a new path in his work: Impressionism. 

Doors will open at 6:00 PM. Rosary and Rory will start the evening off with a discussion about their work and Edgar Degas followed by a signing. Copies of Edgar Degas in New Orleans will be available for purchase.