Coordinates
812 Decatur St.
Dutch Alley, near French Market.
The Lady of Dutch Alley
"Michelle"
The Muse.
French Quarter Icon
812 Decatur St • Artist: Paul Perret Jr.
The Sculpture
Officially titled "Michelle," this life-sized bronze depicts a woman sitting on a bench with a basket of fruit and nuts. Modeled by Gayle de la Houssaye in 1983, it was originally intended to be a nude but was clothed for public display.
The "Mermaid" Myth: Often informally nicknamed "the mermaid" by locals and tourists, despite clearly having legs and no tail.
Dutch Alley Context
Situated in the heart of the French Market district, the statue sits in an open-air plaza known as Dutch Alley. Its accessible, seated pose makes it one of the most popular photo opportunities in the Quarter.
High-Traffic Photo Spot
Visitor Protocol
Access Level
Free / 24 Hours. Outdoor public plaza setting.
Proximity
Steps from Café du Monde and Jackson Square.
Tribute: The Lady of New Orleans
Capturing the spirit of the French Market
History & Background
The Lady of New Orleans statue celebrates the spirit of New Orleans itself — the city's particular combination of French Creole elegance, joie de vivre, resilience, and cultural richness. New Orleans is one of the most culturally distinctive cities in the United States, shaped by its French and Spanish colonial origins, its deep African American heritage rooted in both slavery and freedom, its Cajun and Creole culinary traditions, and its unparalleled musical legacy as the birthplace of jazz.
Located in or near the French Market district, this statue evokes the particular character of a neighborhood that has been a center of commerce, food, and community life since the city's founding in 1718. The French Market itself — continuously operating since at least 1791 — is one of the oldest public markets in the United States. It has served as a trading post, farmers market, specialty market, and community gathering place across more than three centuries of New Orleans history.
Public art celebrating the spirit of a place rather than a specific historical figure is a distinctive genre — one that requires distilling complex cultural identity into a single image. This statue's placement near the French Market connects the symbolic Lady to the tangible, daily life of the city: its food, its commerce, its street culture, and its ability to regenerate and celebrate despite repeated hardships including hurricanes, epidemics, economic crises, and political turbulence. It is a tribute to the city's endurance.
Nearby Attractions
Café Du Monde
At 800 Decatur Street, this café has served beignets and café au lait 24 hours a day since 1862. The outdoor seating beneath the green-and-white striped awning faces Jackson Square. The combination of strong chicory-laced coffee and hot, sugar-dusted fried dough in the open air of the French Quarter is one of New Orleans' most iconic experiences.
French Market
One of the oldest continuous markets in America, the French Market stretches along Decatur Street with vendors selling local produce, spices, crafts, and food. The covered market buildings date to the early 20th century, though the market tradition itself is much older. The New Orleans Farmers Market section operates on weekends and features local growers and artisan producers.
Frenchmen Street
Just outside the French Quarter in the Tremé and Marigny neighborhoods, Frenchmen Street is the most concentrated live music district in New Orleans — and for many locals, a more authentic alternative to Bourbon Street. Multiple clubs feature jazz, funk, blues, and brass band music every night of the week, with musicians often spilling out onto the sidewalk. The best time to visit is between 10pm and 2am.