George Rodrigue, Jolie Blonde Holding a Rose, oil on canvas

George Rodrigue American/Louisiana, 1944-2013 "Jolie Blonde Holding a Rose" oil on canvas signed lower right and en verso, artist stamp and inscribed "#830" on stretcher, framed. Provenance: Neal Auction, Jan. 26, 2019, lot 227. Note: Local legend claims that a Cajun imprisoned in Port Arthur, Texas in the 1920s wrote a waltz pining for his lost love who had left him for another... Pretty blonde, look at what you've done You left me to go away To go away with another, instead of me What hope and what future am I going to have? The song eventually became a Cajun anthem of sorts, reminiscent of a modern day Evangeline story. The romantic myth of the song's origins no doubt appealed to George Rodrigue, as he depicted Jolie Blonde, meaning "pretty blonde," more than one hundred times during his career. Over the years, Rodrigue utilized numerous models, placing Jolie Blonde at first in his classic bayou landscapes and later in more contemporary settings.

Estimate:£22,371.15

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