Paul Poincy (American, 1833-1909), Dogs in the French Market, 1889. Oil on canvas. New Orleans Museum of Art, Museum purchase.
This scene portrayed by artist Paul Édouard Poincy was likely common in the 1880s at the French Market or any of the 30 neighborhood markets that existed in New Orleans at the time. Originally a site of Indigenous trading, the French Market opened at the riverfront of New Orleans at the end of the 18th century when the city was under Spanish rule. By the 1880s, the French Market was at a high point in popularity, but at its lowest in cleanliness and general upkeep. Waste-filled gutters and scraps of food attracted dogs scrounging for their dinner. Poincy captured one dog opting for a steak as he grabs meat from a butcher’s stall. A second dog underneath the table warns him off.