Description:

George Rodrigue
1944-2013
Legacy: Evangeline, Gabriel and Longfellow with Evangeline Oak
Bronze
1981, signed, foundry stamped and inscribed "A/P" on self-base, edition of 10 plus 10 artist proofs.
h. 10 3/4 in., w. 9 1/4 in., d. 9 1/4 in.
Neal Auction Presents: The Art of George Rodrigue with Wendy Rodrigue

George Rodrigue's first experience with sculpture came as a young child bedridden with polio when his mother brought him paint-by-number sets and modeling clay. He continued to explore art in three-dimensions throughout his life. In the 1970s, he created clay sculptures inspired by his own Cajun culture, echoing the themes of his paintings with figures melded into the Louisiana oak tree. He first modeled the soft clay with his fingers and then chiseled the hardened clay with metal tools to achieve his desired surfaces. Once complete, he worked with a foundry to transform the clay models using a classical lost wax process into finished bronze sculptures. By the 1980s, he primarily utilized the Shidoni Foundry in Tesuque, New Mexico, although he also spent extensive time in the mid-1980s at a foundry in Pietrasanta, Italy – a town famous for its foundries and marble since the Italian Renaissance. A monumental version of Legacy offered here and featuring Evangeline and Gabriel with Longfellow stands today in the Kaliste Saloom Office Park in Lafayette, LA and was completed in Italy. Subjects such as oak trees, Evangeline and a fisherman with his pirogue appear to have leapt from Rodrigue's canvases with the dark, rich patina of the bronze evoking his bayou landscapes in these rare, limited-edition sculptures.

Ref.: Rodrigue, Wendy. "The Bronzes." Musings of an Artist's Wife. Life & Legacy Foundation & Art Tour. www.legacyarttour.org. Accessed Oct. 12, 2024.

  • Condition: Scattered dust and dirt; spots of dried wax throughout; spots of oxidation throughout, particularly on lower back left corner; overall good condition.

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November 22, 2024 11:00 AM CST
New Orleans, LA, US

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$100 $499 $25
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$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $29,999 $1,000
$30,000 $49,999 $5,000
$50,000 $99,999 $10,000
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