Still others were sentimental keepsakes, valued particularly in a community where familial ties were strong. Montegut was surgeon major of the Spanish colonial army in New Orleans and later chief surgeon of Charity Hospital. In addition to Salazar, other painters represented in this section include Jean Joseph Vaudechamp and Jacques Amans. With the invention of the first photographic process in 1839, the demand for painted portraits began to wane and a regional landscape painting movement surfaced. After the Civil War, genre painting came into practice in Louisiana.
Genre painting focuses on everyday life.
Examples of this type in the exhibit are of urban streets in New Orleans and a cabin in the country. By the late 19th century, a professional arts community centered on a group of professional artists who worked in a variety of styles, subject matters and mediums, began to emerge in New Orleans. In 1880, the Southern Art Union was formed. The union held exhibitions and opened an art school with classes taught by prominent Southern artists. Although the Union was fairly short-lived, its mission and goals led the way for future art organizations.