The story behind the 1795 portrait of a wealthy Creole woman - Verite News New Orleans

The story behind the 1795 portrait of a wealthy Creole woman - Verite News New Orleans

Marianne Celeste Dragon Dimitry, a wealthy Creole land owner, posed for Louisiana’s first significant portrait painter, José Francisco Xavier de Salazar y Mendoza, in 1795. She wore a flower-embellished dress and was seated next to a basket of fresh flowers.  According to 64 Parishes, Salazar’s portrait, which is part of the Louisiana State Museum’s collection, represented Dimitry’s femininity and youth, and  “reflected her mixed-race heritage a…