Beschreibung:

William Woodward (American/Louisiana, 1859-1939) "Courtyard on Rue Royale in 1904 (The Court of Two Sisters)" Raffaelli oil crayon on board signed lower center, and pencil-signed, titled, dated and inscribed en verso. Framed. 23" x 14", framed 24-1/2" x 15-1/2" Provenance: Descended in the family of artist to Carl Ellsworth Woodward, William Woodward's son; Dr. James W. Nelson, Gonzales, Louisiana. Notes: In 1886, the Camors sisters, Bertha and Emma, opened "The Shop of the Two Sisters" on the first floor off the courtyard of their in-law's residence on Royal Street. The sisters' shop specialized in ball gowns and assorted finery, including lace and perfumes imported from France, and occasionally invited guests for tea and cakes in the large courtyard. The popular shop remained open for twenty years and the courtyard became known as the "Court of Two Sisters". As an artist and ardent historic preservationist, William Woodward documented the historic buildings in the French Quarter, many of which had become derelict and run down. He often used Raffaelli oil crayons on board for his French Quarter views, preferring the convenience and desired textural effect for the architecture. William Woodward's "Courtyard on Rue Royale in 1904" provided both an accurate historical depiction of the courtyard and a visual record of the cultural life in the French Quarter. He revisited this courtyard scene several times over the course of his career. The first version of 1904, now in the New Orleans Museum of Art, depicts an empty courtyard. For this painting, the second version, Woodward added the Camors sisters in the courtyard outside of their shop and an African American woman on the second-floor balcony, shaking a rug over the railing; bringing an enduring representation of daily life in the French Quarter at the turn of the century. After retiring from Tulane University's Architecture School and confined to a wheelchair after surgery, Woodward settled with his wife, Louise, into a studio/home in Biloxi, Mississippi. In 1938, he published the book French Quarter Etchings to continue his efforts of bringing awareness to the preservation of the historic area. These prints were based on his earlier Raffaelli oil crayon French Quarter paintings. He created an etching for the book of "Courtyard on Rue Royal in 1904" based on this painting and included the Camors sisters. In 1963, Joe Fein, Jr. opened the Court of Two Sisters restaurant. The legacy of the Camors sisters' serving a repast on the courtyard was continued. The Fein family continues to pay homage to the Camors sisters by restoring and maintaining their graves. According to local lore, the ghosts of the sisters occasionally make appearances in the dining room and kitchen of the restaurant.