A Cotton Office in New Orleans, Degas

This customary painting was the first the artist managed to sell to a museum, marking a turning point in his career. From then on, he began striving for recognition and to live off the income generated by his works.
The scene is set in a real environment, specifically in the cotton business run by his uncle Michel Musson. After a boat trip to New York and a train journey to New Orleans, which lasted about four weeks, Edgar Degas and his brother enjoyed the city's luxuries and their uncle's fortune. For about five months, he lived in the rented house of his mother's brother (2306 Esplanade Ave, New Orleans). Today, converted into a museum and divided into two smaller houses, it was one large house many years ago. Michel provided him with a studio in the house for painting. During this time, Edgar produced twenty-two paintings, including this one.