William Woodward 1859–1939: An American Impressionist in New Orleans, was the sixth collaborative exhibition between The Historic New Orleans Collection and the New Orleans Museum of Art, and opened Saturday, October 17, at NOMA.

Drawing from the holdings of both institutions, the exhibition featured more than 70 paintings, etchings, sculpture and ephemera related to Woodward’s life and works. A native of Massachusetts, Woodward came to New Orleans in the 1880s to teach fine arts, mechanical drawing and architectural drawing at Tulane University.

Woodward was involved with every facet of architecture in New Orleans, consulting on the design of Tulane’s new building for architecture classes. He also designed and built his own home in Uptown New Orleans. His interest in architecture evolved into a passionate commitment to preservation. The first artist to focus intensely on the Vieux Carré, Woodward documented the Quarter’s rich cultural heritage in vignettes of daily life—women at market, street cleaners, deliverymen and milkmaids driving drayage carts and residents engaged in their daily activities. Woodward’s depictions of French Quarter buildings focused public attention on the heedless destruction of historic properties. The exhibition offers an opportunity to view a large selection of Woodward’s renderings of the French Quarter and to judge the strength of his artistic contribution. Seven decades after Woodward’s death, his work continues to “speak” in a distinctive voice. William Woodward 1859–1939: An American Impressionist in New Orleans was on display through February 28, 2010.

Sponsors / Partners

Exhibits courtesy of the Historic New Orleans Collection and the New Orleans Museum of Art