NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — A new exhibition at the Cabildo is set to highlight painter George Rodrigue’s Cajun heritage and impact on the Cajun Revival.
The Rodrigue: Before the Blue Dog exhibition, opening in November, will feature over 50 of Rodrigue’s paintings with artifacts from the museum that represent Cajun culture.
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The New Iberia native is best known for his “Blue Dog” paintings.
According to a news release, the exhibition aims to highlight Rodrigue’s Cajun heritage through six themes including landscapes, language and legends, families and communities, music, foodways and way of life.
Practice on Sunday Afternoon (The Joseph Falcon Family) – 1977. This painting features guitarist and singer Cleoma Breaux (1906–1941) and her husband, accordionist Joe Falcon (1900–1965). On April 27, 1928, the Crowley couple, shown here with their daughter, made what is generally considered the first Cajun music recording, “Lafayette” (known today as “Allons à Lafayette”). The song’s popularity led to many other commercial recordings of Cajun and Creole music. (Loaned by David and Alice Begnaud)
Floating the Decoys (Louisiana Cajuns with Decoys) – 1979. Though it is rapidly becoming a lost art, decoy carving has a long history in Louisiana, especially among Cajun duck hunters. During the early years of the Cajun Revival, hand-crafted wooden decoys, such as the ones in this painting, were among the folk traditions celebrated as a form of artistic expression. (Loaned by J. Gray Teekell/Louisiana State Exhibition Museum)
Miss Arceneaux’s Girls School – 1973. In his exploration of Cajun culture, Rodrigue often painted group portraits such as this one featuring students of the fictional Miss Arceneaux’s Girls School. In Rodrigue’s imagination, the school was an early 1900s “finishing school for young ladies, run just like an old French school.” (Loaned by Tom Keyes)
The release states the exhibition will also include Rodrigue’s Saga of the Acadians series, which consists of 15 paintings that trace “the history of the Acadians as they traveled from France to what is now Nova Scotia to south Louisiana after the Grand Dérangement of 1755.”
Those in attendance can also expect to see a section dedicated to the “Blue Dog” in a Cajun context.
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Museum officials said Rodrigue’s inspiration for the iconic dog came from folklore stories like the loup-garou while working on art for a ghost storybook. The first “Blue Dog” painting will be on display among others.
The exhibition will open at the Cabildo on Nov. 22, 2024. For more information, visit the Louisiana State Museum website.
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