The Watch Dog by George Rodrigue (Interpretation and Analysis)
The Watch Dog Source: Daily Art Magazine When it comes to animals in art, I usually focus on cats in this blog. However, today I’m going to switch gears and discuss the dog, an animal that certainly makes its fair share of appearances in art. American artist George Rodrigue is particularly famous for his paintings of dogs. Rodrigue, who was originally from Louisiana, spent his career trying to preserve the disappearing Cajun culture through art. He was inspired by the loup-garou legend (an element of Cajun culture that is similar to the legend of the werewolf) to create his series of Blue Dog paintings. The paintings, which depict the blue dog in various situations and contexts, are now famous worldwide. The Watch Dog is an excellent example of his Blue Dog series. According to my research, the piece was originally conceived as an illustration for a story about an evil dog guarding a house. The piece depicts the blue dog—originally based on a photo of the artist’s deceased pet Ti...