Everyone knows the Blue Dog, whether they know the artist’s name or not.  Most Louisianians do.  But long before the Blue Dog with its kitsch mass-marketing appeal, George Rodrigue was celebrated for his regional stories in oil.  They are stories that no one, save Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, had ever told well enough to capture the intrigue of the world.  I became acquainted with the work of Rodrigue while in high school when his work hanged in restaurants.  I also recall Mother and I having dinner when I fell in love with a painting; it was $1,300 according to the card stuck …continue reading