Mardi Gras Madness

This festive painting encompasses the basic idea of New Orleans’ Mardi Gras in one scene. Mardi Gras is a celebration that climaxes days of feasting and festival. The parade shown is symbolic of the true meaning of Mardi Gras. The three floats shown are: The Jazz Band, The King’s Float and Boeuf Gras. The Jazz Band symbolizes the music that fills the city in a blend that is uniquely New Orleans, The King’s Float represents the many Mystic Krewes who reign during the carnival season and Boeuf Gras Float (Bull) symbolizes the Lenten season and a farewell to all earthly pleasures, to pray and repair the soul in preparation for Easter.

The colors purple, green and gold are synonymous with Mardi Gras and symbolize justice, faith and power. The Krewe of Rex selected the colors in 1872 and symbolic meanings of the colors given in 1892. No Mardi Gras scene would be complete without these colors, ask any native New Orleanian.

This painting is double-signed, “Cajl” on the front in oil, is hand-signed in charcoal “C.J. Lauterbach” and has the title and date on verso. A Certificate of Authenticity and Artist’s Statement are also included.