Neal Auction Company

Neal Auction
Important Spring Estates Auction • April 17-19, 2015
“Chairman of the Board”, Lot 588, Spring Estates Auction, April 17-19, 2015,
Lot 588 • April 18, 2015
April 8, 2015
Dear Sir or Madam,
I am writing to let you know about an important painting by George Rodrigue, which
may be of particular interest to you and will be featured as lot 588 in our upcoming
Spring Estates auction on April 18, 2015. “Chairman of the Board” was created at an
exciting time in Rodrigue’s career to coincide with the opening of his new gallery space
on Royal Street in 2010 and is among his largest and most significant works. The
painting represents Rodrigue’s mature style and iconic Blue Dog within a unique artistdesigned “running dogs” frame.
One of only four purchased by the artist in Santa Fe, NM, the massive frame was
crafted in India and originally painted with shades of pale red, blue and green. For this
special frame, Rodrigue reverted to his old practice of “painting to the frame.” In the
1970s, he is known to have bought inexpensive, antique frames and stretched canvases to fit. His painting, “Aioli Dinner,” is the most well-known example of this practice
and currently hangs in the Ogden Museum of Southern Art in New Orleans, LA. With
“Chairman of the Board”, Rodrigue purchased the frame, stored it for a number of
years in anticipation of a special painting, and then eventually had a canvas stretched
to fit. Once the canvas was complete, Rodrigue then spent several days re-painting the
wood frame by hand, making it truly one of a kind.
Over and above its magnificent frame and imposing size, “Chairman of the Board”
combines many of the attributes that are sought in Rodrigue’s work and would be the
highlight of any collection. In addition to the full-length Blue Dog, the painting has a
strong graphic appeal and energetic color palette. A humorous title was a hallmark
of George Rodrigue, known for his sense of humor and characteristic laugh. In this
case, the title combined with the black stool and polka dot tie (a repeated and desired
motif in Rodrigue’s work) results in a playful image with an enigmatic and engaging
Blue Dog. The large scale is almost unprecedented for Rodrigue, with only a handful
of works with similar or larger dimensions known to have been painted by the artist
throughout his long career, most now in private collections.
George Rodrigue with newly completed
“Chairman of the Board”, 2010
George Rodrigue with “Running Dogs” Frame, 2010
“Chairman of the Board” is currently on exhibit at our gallery located at 4038 Magazine Street in New Orleans. If you would like to make an appointment for a private
viewing, I would be delighted to accommodate you. Please also contact me if you
have any questions or would like to register for bidding on “Chairman of the Board”
in our upcoming auction on April 18th.
Sincerely,
Marney Robinson
Paintings, Prints and Photography
Neal Auction Company
4038 Magazine Street
New Orleans, LA 70118
504-899-5329
paintings@nealauction.com
Detail of George Rodrigue Painting
“Running Dogs” Frame, 2010
Images copyright Wendy Rodrigue at www.wendyrodrigue.
com and reprinted here with permission.
Neal Auction Company • www.nealauction.com