Description:

Emilie de Hoa LeBlanc (American/New Orleans, 1870-1941, active Newcomb College, 1897-1921), "The Praline Seller", watercolor on paper, unsigned, label and additional information on subject on backing, 19 1/2 in. x 13 3/8 in., framed . Provenance: Anita de Hoa LeBlanc BreisacherNote: Pralinieres, women who sold pralines on the streets of New Orleans, were some of the first women of color – along with coffee sellers, callas sellers and laundresses – to work for themselves as opposed to being employed as domestic help. According to Newcomb College tradition, Mary Louise was the “praline lady” on Washington Avenue near the old campus of Newcomb College before it was moved to Broadway in 1918. Depicted by several of Newcomb’s art students, including Sadie Irvine and Selina Bres, Mary Louise was a well-known figure in the Newcomb community, as was her daughter, Azelie, who took over her mother’s business after Mary Louise’s death. The sensitively painted portrait presented here shows Mary Louise in her traditional scarf and tignon, an ensemble that many pralinieres of the time wore. The lovely watercolor brushwork that Emilie de Hoa LeBlanc used to capture Mary Louise’s pensive expression is a testament to her skill as a painter.

  • Condition: All lots are sold “As is” and “Where is”. Neal Auction provides condition reports on items with a low estimate over $500 as a courtesy to aid in your bidding decision. No statement regarding age, condition, kind, value, or quality of a lot, whether made orally at the auction or at any other time, or in writing in this catalogue or elsewhere, shall be construed to be an express or implied warranty, representation, or assumption of liability. Completed condition reports are posted as an additional image with the lot. Neal Auction does not give refunds.

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June 22, 2019 10:00 AM CDT
New Orleans, LA, US

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$100 $499 $25
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$1,000 $2,999 $100
$3,000 $9,999 $250
$10,000 $49,999 $500
$50,000 $999,999 $5,000
$1,000,000 $1,999,999 $10,000
$2,000,000 $2,999,999 $15,000
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