Neal Auction Important Estates September 2015

Additional information at www.nealauction.com 63 368. James Lamantia (American/New Orleans, 1923‑2011) , “Sunset Landscape”, 1966, oil on canvas, signed and dated lower right and en verso, 42 in. x 47 in., framed. $2500/3500 369. Kenneth Noland (American, 1924‑2010) , “Plaid”, 1978, mixed media on pulp paper, signed and dated lower left, “Richard Anderson Designs, New York City” label en verso, 19 1/2 in. x 23 in., framed. $2000/3000 370. Peter Max (German/New York, b. 1937) , “Statue of Liberty”, 1992, oil on canvas, signed upper right, signed, dated and inscribed “12879” en verso, 72 in. x 36 in., unframed. $10000/15000 Note: Peter Max began his Statue of Liberty painting series in 1976 when he combined efforts with Chrysler CEO Lee Iacocca to restore the iconic American monument. 371. George Rodrigue (American/Louisiana, 1944‑2013) , “Blue Dog Looking for a Home”, c. 1995, acrylic on canvas, signed lower right, 60 in. x 50 in., framed. $50000/80000 Provenance: Galerie Blue Dog, Carmel, CA. Note: George Rodrigue made use of unique and repetitive motifs from his early oak trees to his Blue Dogs, however he was constantly refining and adapting these images throughout his career. The aspects that remained consistent as Rodrigue grew as an artist were his attention to strong design and his keen understanding and passion for color. In art school, Rodrigue’s professors described him as a “colorist,” an ironic title when one considers his dark early oak trees from the 1970s. Yet, in even his darkest canvases Rodrigue’s color palette is multi- faceted. With his change from oil to acrylic paint in the early 1990s, the artist made his love for primary colors more obvious, and over the years, his canvases began to grow brighter and brighter. In the work offered here, the green background and yellow fluorescent halo surrounding the Blue Dog highlight the brilliant cobalt blue of the dog. Another interesting feature of this canvas is the slight modification to the shape of the Blue Dog. Rodrigue knew that by changing the elements of the dog’s face ever so slightly, the Blue Dog’s expression could vary, and the slight deviation of the proper right ear gives this Blue Dog a questioning, whimsical appeal perfectly befitting the playful (and appropriate) title. Ref.: Rodrigue, Wendy. “Red Dog.” Musings of an Artist’s Wife. January 28, 2010. www.wendyrodrigue.com. Ac cessed July 28, 2015.