Description:

George Rodrigue (American/Louisiana, 1944-2013), "Miss Arceneaux's Girls School", 1973, oil on canvas, signed and dated lower left, titled and stamped on stretcher, "George Rodrigue Gallery, Lafayette, LA" label and exhibition label with title and date on reverse of frame, 30 in. x 40 in., framed, overall 37 1/2 in. x 47 3/4 in. x 2 1/2 in. WATCH VIDEO: https://youtu.be/-FnBhTA0aFQ Ill.: Rodrigue, George. The Cajuns of George Rodrigue. Birmingham: Oxmoor House Inc., 1976, p. 122. Note: “This early finishing school for young ladies, run just like an old French school, brought out the proper way to stand and dress. In this painting I tried to recreate a very large class of the school which Miss Arceneaux founded in the early 1900s. My feeling toward school classes is very strong. Everyone can relate to a class. Each class is different. Each class has a character of its own. I wanted to look at the people and see their mystery and try to find just what kind of class this was, where the people are now, what they are doing, and what they have done.” – George Rodrigue, The Cajuns of George Rodrigue, 1976 In writing about the work on offer here, “Miss Arceneaux’s Girls School” of 1973, George Rodrigue revealed his fascination with class portraits and the dynamic of such groups. While each figure brings distinct elements all their own, a class exists only as a unique assemblage of people in a singular moment in time. As Wendy Rodrigue states: “Although we have our separate memories, we also exist as a unit, a group that shapes and defines a certain part within each of us.” One cannot help but draw a parallel to the Acadians – whose descendants are bound together today by the trials of their ancestors even as each person further refines and enriches the Cajun tradition. Rodrigue’s first painting of a class was the “The Class of Marie Courregé” (sold at Neal Auction on April 13, 2019) based on a photograph of his mother’s Mount Carmel Academy graduating class of 1924 in New Iberia, LA. With “Miss Arceneaux’s Girls School,” Rodrigue was inspired by a photo from further afield - a New England yearbook image originally in a gymnasium setting. He transformed the group of students with his imagination into a Cajun tradition within the landscape of southwest Louisiana. The girls are dressed alike, reinforcing their existence as a group. The class, rather than its separate members, is the subject, although in true Rodrigue fashion, the oak tree landscape is perhaps the most important element on the canvas. As seen in the rare “in progress” photo from 1973, Rodrigue painted the landscape first around a blocked-out silhouette of the class, with the bushes behind the girls echoing their heads and locking them into the scene. Rodrigue famously utilized recurring imagery throughout his career, particularly for motifs that were significantly meaningful or interesting to him. His class and group portrait paintings are a memorable category within his overall oeuvre and shed light on a noteworthy exploration by the artist. “Miss Arceneaux’s Girls School” is a defining work of Rodrigue’s Cajun series and a lasting testament to his imagination, heritage and artistic vision. Ref.: Rodrigue, George. The Cajuns of George Rodrigue. Birmingham: Oxmoor House, Inc., 1976; Rodrigue, Wendy. “The Class.” Musings of an Artist's Wife. Life & Legacy Foundation & Art Tour. www.legacyarttour.org. Accessed June 4, 2024.

  • Literature: Ill.: Rodrigue, George. The Cajuns of George Rodrigue. Birmingham: Oxmoor House Inc., 1976, p. 122.
  • Condition: If Condition is NOT stated in the description of the lot; the absence of a condition report does not indicate the lot is free of damage or condition issues. Available Condition Reports will appear as an additional image. Condition Reports and photographs may be requested on items until the Wednesday prior to the auction. To REQUEST A CONDITION REPORT, email [email protected]. Requests are only taken and provided in writing. Bid accordingly. All sales are final, no returns are accepted on the basis of condition.

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June 28, 2024 1:00 PM CDT
New Orleans, LA, US

Neal Auction Company

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