This fine pastel was one of two we acquired together, one signed, this one unsigned, but undoubtedly by New Orleans artist Louis Raynaud, not only obvious from the style but also because the Chicago gallery provenance information came with it (from a gallery in Chicago, where Raynaud lived and painted in addition to New Orleans). Raynaud was a fixture in the New Orleans art scene in the early part of the 20th century, when Newcomb College was leading a Renaissance in Southern art. He was a member of all three of the active clubs at that time: the New Orleans Art Association, Southern States Art League and New Orleans Arts and Crafts Club. The pastel itself is done on blue laid paper; in person it is a bit darker than the photos - the camera brightened it a bit.