In 1873, "A Cotton Office in New Orleans" was painted by Edgar Degas, marking one of his most significant and valuable works. During his visit to New Orleans in 1872, Degas was inspired to create this piece while spending time at his brother’s cotton brokerage. The painting skillfully merges portraiture with genre art and is widely regarded as a powerful depiction of 19th-century capitalism. Notably, this was the only work purchased by a museum during Degas's lifetime.
The Life of Edgar Degas
Born in Paris in 1834, Degas was the eldest of five children in a moderately affluent family. His mother, of Creole descent, and his French father ensured he received a formal education, which began at the Lycée Louis-le-Grand. By the time he had completed his schooling, Degas had already set up an art studio in his family’s home. He initially worked as a copyist at the Louvre, but under pressure from his father, he began studying law at the University of Paris in 1853. However, his interest in the subject waned, and in 1855, he transferred to the École des Beaux-Arts.
Degas debuted at the Salon of 1866 with "Steeplechase – The Fallen Jockey", a work that garnered little attention, but marked a shift towards more contemporary themes. His friendship with Manet, which began while they both copied the same paintings at the Louvre, influenced this stylistic change. When the Franco-Prussian war broke out in 1870, Degas enlisted in the National Guard, but his service revealed a significant defect in his eyesight. This condition would trouble him for the remainder of his life. After the Paris Commune, Degas took an extended trip to visit family in New Orleans in 1872.
Steeplechase – The Fallen Jockey
Returning to Paris, Degas co-founded the Société Anonyme des Artistes with fellow impressionists like Manet and Sisley. He exhibited in all eight of the group’s shows, featuring works such as "The Dancing Class" and "Dancers Practicing at the Bar". Degas retired from painting in 1912, becoming increasingly reclusive as his vision worsened. He passed away in September 1917, having never married and spending his final years wandering the streets of Paris.
Dancers Practicing at the Bar
Impressionist or Independent?
Although often associated with the impressionist movement, Degas preferred to label himself an independent. By the late 1860s, he had moved away from historical subjects, choosing instead to depict everyday life in Paris. Around this time, Degas began experimenting with innovative techniques, such as mixing pastels with liquid fixatives to create a thick, textured surface. He also combined oil paints with pastels and used charcoal to enhance his compositions, giving his works the rich, layered quality for which he is celebrated.
While classified as an impressionist, Degas had a somewhat ambivalent relationship with the movement. He distanced himself from the spontaneous, outdoor approach associated with impressionism, stating, "No art was ever less spontaneous than mine. What I do is the result of reflection and study of the great masters. Inspiration, spontaneity, temperament—these I know nothing of." His work was more introspective, with a clear preference for indoor, personal scenes over en plein air landscapes.
Degas’s Journey to New Orleans
In 1872, Degas travelled to New Orleans to reconnect with his relatives. The city fascinated him, as his brother René mentioned in a letter: “Edgar is so intrigued by New Orleans, asking endless questions about the family’s life. He seems charmed by their Southern accents and is even attempting to mimic them.”
While there, Degas painted numerous family portraits, focusing primarily on his cousins Estelle, Mathilde, and Désirée Musson. Although fulfilling their requests, he expressed frustration, noting, “Family portraits are the most complicated! The subjects are affectionate but too casual, and they tend not to take you seriously because you’re their relative.” Despite this, Degas extended his stay after visiting his brother’s cotton office, feeling compelled to begin work on "A Cotton Office in New Orleans."
"A Cotton Office in New Orleans"
Degas’s intention with "A Cotton Office in New Orleans" was to sell the painting to a British textile merchant. The central figure, his brother René, is depicted reading a newspaper, while René’s father-in-law is seated in the foreground, handling a cotton sample. Other workers are scattered throughout the scene, captured amidst their daily activities. Interestingly, during the creation of this painting, René’s business was on the brink of collapse, and some speculate that the newspaper René is holding might contain news of the impending bankruptcy.
The composition of the painting demonstrates Degas's mastery of organisation. Despite its numerous figures, he uses areas of white to unify the piece, guiding the viewer’s eye from the cotton on the left to René’s newspaper, and finally to the white shirt of another figure on the right. The painting, however, is not a literal representation of daily life in a cotton office. For instance, Degas likely omitted the African-American porters who would have been responsible for moving the cotton samples. Instead, he sought to capture a broader essence of American business culture, which Europeans perceived as dynamic, prosperous, yet also informal and approachable.
This masterpiece was the first of Degas’s works to be acquired by a museum and stands today as a testament to his artistic innovation and cultural observation.