Degas and the Business of Art: "A Cotton Office in New Orleans" by Marilyn R. Br

Description: Degas and the Business of Art by Marilyn R. Brown This is a study of the significance of Degass painting "A Cotton Office in New Orleans", in terms of its representation of 19th-century capitalism. The study concentrates on the social meanings of the painting in the light of shifting audiences and changing market conditions. FORMAT Hardcover LANGUAGE English CONDITION Brand New Publisher Description Edgar Degass painting entitled A Cotton Office in New Orleans is one of the most significant images of nineteenth-century capitalism, in part because it was the first painting by an Impressionist to be purchased by a museum. Drawing upon archival materials, Marilyn R. Brown explores the accumulated social meanings of the work in light of shifting audiences and changing market conditions and assesses the artists complicated relationship to the business of art.Despite the financial failure of the actual cotton firm he represented, Degas carefully constructed his picture with a particular buyer—a British textile manufacturer—in mind. However, world events, including an international stock market crash and declines in the market for cotton and art, destroyed his hopes for this sale. It was under these circumstances that the canvas was exhibited in the second Impressionist show in Paris in 1876. While it received a more positive response than other works exhibited, its success was with the conservative audience. After considerable difficulty, Degas finally succeeded in selling the painting in 1878 to the newly founded museum in the city of Pau. The painting was probably regarded as an appropriate homage to the old textile manufacturing family who funded its purchase. It also appealed to "progressive" provincial and more cosmopolitan audiences in Pau. The pictures scattered form and atomized figures—in which some interpreters today read evidence of the artists own ambivalence about capitalism—seemingly contributed to its "innovative" cachet in Pau. But the private and public meanings of the painting had shifted, in discontinuous fashion, between its production and consumption. Under the circumstances, Degass unfixed and even mixed messages about business became, among other things, his most successful (if unwitting) marketing strategy. The official recognition Degas received in Pau in 1878 heralded the gradual upswing of his own financial status during the 1880s, but his attitudes towards success remained mixed. Author Biography Marilyn R. Brown is Associate Professor of Art at Tulane University. Details ISBN0271009446 Language English ISBN-10 0271009446 ISBN-13 9780271009445 Media Book DEWEY 759.4 Series Number 51 Year 1994 Imprint Pennsylvania State University Press Country of Publication United States Place of Publication University Park Pages 168 Short Title DEGAS & THE BUSINESS OF ART Format Hardcover Illustrations 1 Halftones, color; 43 Halftones, black and white DOI 10.1604/9780271009445 UK Release Date 1994-01-26 AU Release Date 1994-01-26 NZ Release Date 1994-01-26 US Release Date 1994-01-26 Author Marilyn R. Brown Publisher Pennsylvania State University Press Series College Art Association Monograph Publication Date 1994-01-26 Subtitle "A Cotton Office in New Orleans" Audience Undergraduate We've got this At The Nile, if you're looking for it, we've got it. With fast shipping, low prices, friendly service and well over a million items - you're bound to find what you want, at a price you'll love! TheNile_Item_ID:161641563;

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