R. W. NORTON ART GALLERY

A very nice private collection, assembled by the Norton family, who became rich after their discovery of an oil deposit in northern Louisiana and especially after having filed the patent on drilling. The gallery was opened in 1966. It presents a corridor of war propaganda as well as magnificent sculptures by Rodin, including a Thinker. Some sketches by Matisse are also to be seen or works by Man Ray. At the entrance on the left, there is a painting depicting Captain Shreve unclogging the river and giving birth to Shreveport. The focus is on American painting and sculpture of the 19th century, with Frederic Remington and Charles Marion Russell, emblematic of this period, as the leaders. They painted the Great West inspired by their travels and the stories they brought back. They allow us to discover the daily life of adventurers, cowboys and Indians who lived in this mythical American West. The work of the Louisianan Felix Kelly is interesting for the message it gives about the colonial feeling.

Also not to be missed are the superb landscaped grounds and botanical gardens that border the museum and cover 16 hectares, which are also owned by the Nortons. The gardens are home to thousands of native and introduced azaleas, for which the museum is famous. The gardens are cool and shaded, with fountains and streams and beautiful mature pines and oaks that are welcome when the sun is hot.