1944-2013. Born and raised in southwest Louisiana, “Cajun Country,” George Rodrigue preserved on his canvas what he feared was his dying heritage — including its land, people, traditions and mythology. It was a Cajun legend, the loup-garou, that spawned his most famous series,
BLUE: The Life and Art of George Rodrigue is airing on public TV stations, presented by WLAE New Orleans and distributed by American Public Television. Stream exclusively with the PBS Passport app by becoming a member of your local PBS affiliate.
“I grew up feeling a strong relationship to the old things, to the old culture, and I got a stronger feeling when I went to Los Angeles to school. I really started to understand how different I was and how different my Louisiana was.”
Beach Ball Bingo, created in 2012 by George Rodrigue, is a newly re-released print in 2026. This Estate Edition of 175 measures 18 x 36 inches and is available for purchase from Rodrigue Studios or online. Although George Rodrigue is best known for his oak tree–accented depictions of the Louisiana […]
I’ve always approached painting knowing that my job is not to make an accurate representation of a subject–
IT’S GOT TO TRANSCEND THAT.
Rodrigue Gallery: The Unveiling
Original silkscreen by George Rodrigue, 2010
Estate Completed Edition of 500
(Numbers 190–500 estate stamped)
Approx. 40 × 26 inches
Available at Rodrigue Studios and online at link in bio ⬆️
In 2010, George Rodrigue opened his flagship gallery on Royal Street in New Orleans — a historic space nearly three times larger than his previous location (2/2). To mark the occasion, he created this silkscreen, centering a Blue Dog draped in red within the new interior: a quiet motif of revelation drawn from his earlier work.
The composition incorporates personal details from the artist’s studio, including an actual rug from the floor and references to two paintings from 2008 and 2009. These elements quietly foreshadow the dramatic increase in scale that would define the final chapter of Rodrigue’s career.
A reflective work honoring perseverance and a pivotal artistic milestone.
🌳 TBT to the moment George Rodrigue turned the Louisiana live oak into his very own Campbell’s soup can.
Before the world-famous Blue Dog, he made the majestic oak — symbol of strength, home, and Cajun roots — his signature pop-art subject. “Local people saw it as an oak tree, but to me, it was just a graphic design. It was an abstract painting.”
From those early paintings to global icon status, his story is beautifully told in the national Emmy-nominated documentary Blue: The Life and Art of George Rodrigue.
Winners announced May 28 — fingers crossed!
Stream it now on PBS 📺 Learn more at film link in bio ⬆️
#TBT #GeorgeRodrigue #LouisianaArt #OakTrees #BlueDog CajunCulture EmmyNominated
NOW AVAILABLE
The Devil in Me
1991
Silkscreen on paper
22 x 28 inches
Signed: Hand signed
AP Edition
Contact [email protected] to learn more.
For a moment, while studying at The Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles, George Rodrigue considered pursuing a career in automotive design. While he ultimately decided to stick to fine art, he occasionally included cars in his paintings and printwork. In The Devil In Me, an early print from 1991, Rodrigue sets three dogs against a background anchored by a pink convertible. Rodrigue’s detailed depiction of the car’s front end and wheels speaks to that early interest in automobile design. In Rodrigue’s early silkscreen prints, the red dog symbolized the blue dog’s mischievous or, as the print’s title suggests, devilish side.
In the 1920s, a prisoner in Port Arthur, Texas wrote a song based on the Cajun legend “Jolie Blonde.” The song, which became popular amongst Cajuns, tells the story of a blonde woman who left her Cajun lover for another.
Rodrigue painted Jolie Blonde, meaning “pretty blonde,” more than one hundred times, starting in 1974. Throughout the years he used several different models for his Jolie Blondes, and placed them in both landscape settings and abstract environments.
In The Yellows Rolls of Jolie Blonde, Rodrigue blends the organic with the manmade, in a fabricated scene that relates the Cajun beauty to the English luxury automobile. In his typical style, all elements in the painting hold equal importance, including the oak tree, as well as the shape that its branches form with the sky. While the car’s wheels ground it into the land, Jolie floats like a ghost, framed by the oak tree behind her.
The Yellow Rolls of Jolie Blonde
1989
Oil on canvas
24 x 30 inches
Available and on display at Rodrigue Studios New Orleans. Contact us to learn more at [email protected]
Discover “Blue Flowers for a Blue Dog” a striking piece by George Rodrigue from 2000 (private collection). This 20 x 16-inch acrylic on linen is our featured Catalogue Raisonné work of the week.
If you own a unique George Rodrigue artwork, the Rodrigue family invites you to share details for inclusion in the comprehensive catalogue raisonné documenting his life’s work.
For submission guidelines and more information, visit https://georgerodrigue.com/catalogue-raisonne/ or reach out at [email protected]
💐 Happy Mother’s Day from all of us at Rodrigue Studios! 💙
George Rodrigue deeply cherished his own mother, Marie — a tough, “solid” woman whose sharp, dry wit and no-filter honesty made her unforgettable (pictured 2/2).
As her only child, George tried hard to please her and bring her joy, a heartfelt bond that shines through in tender works like his 1998 painting I Love My Mother (Acrylic on linen, 14 x 11 inches, Private collection).
Wishing every mother, grandmother, and mother figure a day filled with love, laughter, and appreciation! 🌸
#MothersDay #BlueDog #RodrigueStudios #GeorgeRodrigueArt
¡Viva Cinco de Mayo! 🎉💃
Celebrating with the energy of George Rodrigue’s Mexican Dancer (1986, 36x24 inches, oil on canvas)!
Painted in 1986 during Rodrigue’s vibrant Cajun period, this striking work explodes with life. The swirling red ruffles, confident stride, and dramatic blue-and-gold backdrop perfectly embody the festive heart of the day.
That same year, George exhibited in Santa Fe at the historic Pink Adobe, hosted by his dear friend Rosalea Murphy. Fresh from travels in New Mexico, he brought the same respect for cultural traditions to his work as he did with his Louisiana Cajun scenes.
From Louisiana bayous to the high desert of New Mexico, George Rodrigue celebrated culture and community in all of works.
How are you honoring Cinco de Mayo? Drop your favorite tradition or festive memory below 👇
#GeorgeRodrigue #MexicanDancer #CincoDeMayo #SantaFeArt #PinkAdobe
New Estate-Stamped Release!
Rodrigue Gallery: The Unveiling
Original silkscreen by George Rodrigue, 2010
Estate Completed Edition of 500
(Numbers 190–500 estate stamped)
Approx. 40 × 26 inches
Available at Rodrigue Studios and online at link in bio ⬆️
In 2010, George Rodrigue opened his flagship gallery on Royal Street in New Orleans — a historic space nearly three times larger than his previous location (2/2). To mark the occasion, he created this silkscreen, centering a Blue Dog draped in red within the new interior: a quiet motif of revelation drawn from his earlier work.
The composition incorporates personal details from the artist’s studio, including an actual rug from the floor and references to two paintings from 2008 and 2009. These elements quietly foreshadow the dramatic increase in scale that would define the final chapter of Rodrigue’s career.
A reflective work honoring perseverance and a pivotal artistic milestone.
