This picture was taken on Canal Street, a little ways down from the French Quarter, where an exhibit of George Rodrigue's artwork is until January 2015. Rodrigue painted these blue dogs based on his own dog, Tiffany, and a Cajun legend called loup-garou. A native of Louisiana, Roudrigue began painting landscapes of his home state in the 1960s, before moving into historical art and Cajun culture. The blue dogs, originally a commission piece of art, launched him into international fame in the 1990s.
"The yellow eyes are really the soul of the dog. He has this piercing stare. People say the dog keeps talking to them with the eyes, always saying something different. People who have seen a Blue Dog painting always remember it. They are really about life, about mankind searching for answers. The dog never changes position. He just stares at you. And you’re looking at him, looking for some answers, ‘Why are we here?,’ and he’s just looking back at you, wondering the same. The dog doesn’t know. You can see this longing in his eyes, this longing for love, answers."The contemporary art of Rodrigue is now seen all over New Orleans, in private homes and restaurants, as well as in the public sphere. Diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer, Rodrigue died on December 14, 2013.
— George Rodrigue on the Blue Dog, interview with The New York Times (1998)
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