My favorite walking route through New Orleans’ Garden District often takes me up Coliseum Street, just past Washington Avenue, where I pass behind Lafayette Cemetery. This one-block stretch feels like a hidden corner of the city — shaded by a canopy of oaks, with houses lining only one side.
This particular house has a familiar New Orleans facade, with shutters over floor-length windows, but walking past reveals an ornate side entrance accented with subtle Victorian flourishes.
Part of the Pink Houses series, this home inspired the teal-blue shutters used across all three paintings. It’s not a color I might have chosen intuitively, but New Orleans is known for its bold, expressive palette — and this house, on its quiet street, subtly made its presence felt in an appreciable way.
The asymmetrical composition is visually heavy on the right, where the details of the bushes, brick-and-iron gate, side doorway, and layered trees suggest a tranquil courtyard rich with depth and stillness. In contrast, the left side is all motion and perspective: the strong, linear siding draws the eye inward — through the gate, up the steps, toward the teal door’s open invitation.
