George Rodrigue. Courtesy of Rodrigue Studio.
“Virtual Reality,” 1992. Oil on linen. 24 x 20 Inches. Private Collection.
Myths and Legends
While preparing for our annual Myths and Legends issue, with Longfellow and spirituality and legacy on the mind, our editorial team suddenly remembered the origin story of George Rodrigue’s beloved motif, The Blue Dog. As detailed in a conversation with Wendy Rodrigue transcribed here, the venerable artist originally painted his striking, stalwart pup as none other than Louisiana’s own boogie man, the rougarou.
In our cover image, titled “Virtual Reality,” Rodrigue’s contemporary interpretation of one our region’s oldest scary stories meets the artist’s own legend of origin, Evangeline—the archetype of the Cajun story and the very first myth captured by Rodrigue’s brush.
In an issue of myth centered on origin stories, Evangeline gets her moment, as do her Acadian descendants who had the opportunity years later to stick it back to the British in the Revolutionary War, and others whose graves still spark wonder in a remote corner of Point Blue. Curiosity extends even beyond, though, to prehistoric civilizations and visitors from other worlds. And as always, we remain enraptured by the local legends, in the forms of forgotten pastries and lost treasure, attic galleries and nocturnal pollinators. Here in the South, we are a storytelling sort, which makes the Myths and Legends issue one of our favorites.
