George Rodrigue: The Cajun Landscape

George Rodrigue: The Cajun Landscape features early landscape and Cajun paintings by Louisiana artist George Rodrigue (1944–2013). Rodrigue was born and raised in New Iberia, Louisiana, the heart of Cajun country. The oak tree was a primary feature inspiring many landscape paintings in the early 1970s, which evolved to include Cajun people and traditions. For more than four decades, Rodrigue sought to depict his Cajun heritage through his work.

George Rodrigue: The Cajun Landscape will be on view at the LSU Museum of Art November 1, 2018 through February 10, 2019. 

Curated by Courtney Taylor

About the Artist

Born and raised in Cajun Country, Louisiana, artist George Rodrigue portrayed on his canvas what he feared was his dying heritage—including its land, people, traditions, and mythology. As he often explained, he sought to “graphically interpret the Cajun culture,” preserving it in the face of a progressive world.
 
Rodrigue’s art studies at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and the Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles spawned one of the greatest success stories in American art.  In the early 1990s his Blue Dog Series, based on the French-Cajun loup-garou legend, catapulted him to worldwide fame, while his dark Renaissance-like landscapes developed into robust modern masterpieces.

Exhibition Sponsors

This exhibition is organized by LSU Museum of Art in collaboration with generous lenders including the George Rodrigue Foundation, Paul & Lulu Hilliard University Art Museum, the Haynie Family Collection, and Louise Ganucheau. Generous support is provided by the following Annual Exhibition Fund donors: The Imo N. Brown Memorial Fund in memory of Heidel Brown and Mary Ann Brown; Louisiana CAT; Charles Schwing; Alma Lee, H.N. and Cary Saurage Fund; Newton B. Thomas Family/Newtron Group; Susanna Atkins McCarthy; Mr. and Mrs. Sanford A. Arst; and LSU College of Art & Design.

Upcoming Lectures and Programs

Past Events

Press