Although Vaudechamp”s story is, in many respects, a timeless parable about fathers, sons, and self-invention, it is also a tale of a particular historical moment.
Vaudechamp in New Orleans
by William Keyse Rudolph
A biography and survey of the works of Jean-Joseph Vaudechamp, the French painter who made portraits of elite Louisiana Creoles in the 1830s.
Vaudechamp in New Orleans
HNOC 2007
hardcover • 8" × 9½" • 128 pp.
88 color images; 8 b&w
ISBN 978-0-917860-51-5
$25.00
During the 1830s Parisian artist Jean-Joseph Vaudechamp (1790–1864) spent his winters in Louisiana, establishing himself as the region’s leading portrait painter. He was, quite simply, the best-educated artist yet to have worked in New Orleans, a graduate of the École des Beaux-Arts and the studio of Anne-Louis Girodet-Trioson. In Vaudechamp in New Orleans, author William Keyse Rudolph traces the life and work of the French portraitist. Compellingly narrated, this volume is also a meditation on fathers, sons, and the role of portraiture in the transmission of culture.
Vaudechamp is one of the primary figures responsible for the unique character of Louisiana art. As such, he eminently deserves our attention.
Stories About Creole Identity
First Draft
What’s the Difference Between Cajun and Creole—Or Is There One?
The answers are tied up in race, class, language, and, of course, history.
First Draft
The Civil War and the Rise of Black Activism
After the Union liberated New Orleans, Black activists fought for civil liberties and basic human rights.
Related Collection Highlights
Dr. Louis Charles Roudanez Papers
A rare collection of manuscript essays and family correspondence offers a thrilling look at one of the most influential people in the early struggle for African American civil rights in Louisiana.
Cane River Collection
Over 1,400 legal and financial documents amount to a detailed record of one slice of 19th-century Black Creole life.
Related Books
Afro-Creole Poetry in French from Louisiana’s Radical Civil War–Era Newspapers
translated and introduced by Clint Bruce
with a foreword by Angel Adams Parham
Louisiana Lens: Photographs from the Historic New Orleans Collection
by John H. Lawrence
with a foreword by Jeff L. Rosenheim
Related News
HNOC in the News
Gambit: Musical Louisiana Concert Highlights Works of Underrecognized Creole Composers
March 2, 2026
Get an in-depth preview of HNOC’s upcoming “Echoes of Innovation” concert (March 4), with commentary from museum staff and community partners.
HNOC in the News
NPR: Why Black Catholics in New Orleans Feel a Special Connection to Pope Leo XIV
June 5, 2025
HNOC family historian Jari Honora spoke with “All Things Considered” about the new pope’s Creole ancestry and what it means for residents of the 7th Ward.
HNOC in the News
CBS Mornings: What to Know about Pope Leo XIV’s Ancestry
May 27, 2025
It was recently revealed that new pope has Louisiana Creole ancestry. Jari Honora, a family historian at the Historic New Orleans Collection, made the discovery and joined “CBS Mornings Plus” to explain.
Stay Connected
Subscribe to Our Newsletter
