11/26/2024
Joan Price
Before George Rodrigue became internationally known for his iconic Blue Dog paintings, he was celebrated for his powerful depictions of Cajun landscapes, culture, and people. A native of New Iberia, Rodrigue returned to Louisiana after studying in Los Angeles, bringing a deeper appreciation for the region’s unique character.
Rodrigue’s early work showed a deep connection to Louisiana, culminating in the creation of the famous Blue Dog, inspired by Cajun ghost stories and the loup-garou legend. "Watchdog," the first Blue Dog painting, is one of the standout pieces in a new exhibition of Rodrigue's art at the Louisiana State Museum at the Cabildo in New Orleans, opening Saturday, November 23, 2024.
About the image: "The Aioli Dinner" (1971) was George Rodrigue's first major painting with people. He designed the painting using combinations of photographs taken of the Aioli Gourmet Dinner Club, a group that met monthly on the lawn of a different plantation home in and around New Iberia. Only men sat at the table, each with his own bottle of wine. The women standing in the back row cooked the dinner, and the young men around the table served their elders. One of the older men, however, made the aioli, a garlic-mayonnaise sauce. Rodrigue's grandfather, Jean Courrege, sits on the left near the head of the table, and his uncle Emile is the third boy standing from the left, poking his head in between the others.
More about the exhibition: https://louisianastatemuseum.org/exhibit/rodrigue-blue-dog
