{"id":4548,"date":"2021-11-09T19:06:26","date_gmt":"2021-11-09T19:06:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.top10pokersites.net\/?p=4548"},"modified":"2023-08-21T18:15:44","modified_gmt":"2023-08-21T18:15:44","slug":"facts-about-the-dogs-playing-poker-painting-series","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.top10pokersites.net\/blog\/facts-about-the-dogs-playing-poker-painting-series","title":{"rendered":"Dogs Playing Poker – Interesting Facts & History of the Paintings"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"ARegardless of whether you are an art lover or an avid poker player<\/a>, you must have come across the famous painting known as by Cassius Marcellus Coolidge<\/strong>. <\/p>\n

The painting has been featured in the media numerous times, appearing in The Simpsons, the Police Academy movie, The Thomas Crown Affair, etc. \u2014 and even in Snoop Dogg\u2019s music video What\u2019s My Name. <\/p>\n

While it might not be Da Vinci\u2019s Mona Lisa, there\u2019s obviously something so fascinating about it that has kept captivating people ever since 1903. <\/p>\n

Today we\u2019re going to dive into its long history to try to uncover what\u2019s behind its charm!<\/p>\n

Who Is Cassius Marcellus Coolidge?<\/h2>\n\n

\"CassiusCoolidge was an American painter who became known for his Dogs Playing Poker paintings<\/a>. He was born in 1844. The artist had no formal training but had so much talent that he started selling illustrations in his early 20s. <\/p>\n

Humour was a big part of his life, so all his drawings were always made to create a comic effect, including the one we\u2019re discussing in this article. <\/p>\n

Also, you must have taken a photo in one of the photo stand-ins at a carnival at least once. In case you are not sure what we\u2019re talking about here, these are basically paintings with openings where people can place their heads to become life-size caricatures. An interesting fact about Coolidge is that he is actually considered the creator of these popular photo stand-ins.<\/p>\n

What You May Not Know About \u201cDogs Playing Poker\u201d <\/h2>\n

The painting everybody recognizes as Dogs Playing Poker<\/strong> is actually called \u201cA Friend in Need<\/em>\u201d (shown above) and is a part of a series of 16 paintings. Coolidge painted this series for an advertising agency called Brown & Bigelow<\/a>, as a part of their campaign for cigars.<\/p>\n

This famous painting, together with the others (Poker Sympathy, Pinched with Four Aces, Stranger in Camp, A Bold Bluff, One to Tie Two to Win, Poker Game, etc.<\/em>) from the same collection, was reproduced on posters, calendars, and prints and dispersed across America.<\/p>\n

Interestingly enough, although the whole series is called Dogs Playing Poker, only 9 of the paintings actually stay true to that name, depicting various poker games<\/a> played by dogs.<\/p>\n

# Series Not Welcomed by the Critics<\/h3>\n

Because the paintings were commissioned for a commercial purpose, critics quickly labeled them as kitsch. The entire series was joked about in the artistic circles and discarded as no more than a sight-gag. What\u2019s more, a whole press release was issued by William Hennessey<\/strong>, the director of the Chrysler Museum of Art in Virginia, in 2002, stating he was trying to get the series of paintings for the museum as a prank.<\/p>\n

Still, there are those who disagree with this criticism. Patrick J. Kiger and Martin J. Smith<\/strong>, the authors of Poplorica: A Popular History of the Fads, Mavericks, Inventions and Lore that Shaped Modern America<\/a>, pointed out that Dogs Playing Poker should be looked at as a commentary on the upper-class\u2019 overindulgence and lavishness.<\/p>\n

# Paintings Quite Pricey Regardless<\/h3>\n

Even though it has not been accepted as a masterpiece, Coolidge\u2019s Dogs Playing Poker series has become a part of pop culture, and, as such, it has been appraised as pretty valuable. While the most that Coolidge got for one of his works was $74,000, much has changed since then.<\/p>\n

In 2005, a pair of paintings (A Bold Bluff and Waterloo) was purchased for as much as $590,400. Additionally, Poker Game, another piece from the series, was sold in 2015 for a whopping $658,000. Not bad for a kitsch piece, is it? <\/p>\n

# The One We All Misname<\/h3>\n

A Friend in Need is the painting that is the most popular out of the entire series. It is also the one that is the most commonly referred to by the name of the whole collection. You\u2019d probably recognize it \u2014 it depicts seven dogs sitting around the table, playing poker. What makes the painting so special \u2014 and gives it its name, at the same time \u2014 are the two dogs closest to the viewer, caught in the act of cheating. <\/p>\n

The painter invites us to sympathize with the cheating bulldogs, who are having each other\u2019s back while confronted with a bunch of hounds. A little bit of deception for the sake of friendship goes a long way to stroke one\u2019s fancy, apparently. <\/p>\n

# The One That Was Sold for Most<\/h3>\n

\"PokerAs we have mentioned, the painting called \u201cPoker Game<\/em>\u201d cost a pretty penny. <\/p>\n

But why is that? Why is it that one is thought to be more valuable than the rest? <\/p>\n

Once again, as the name suggests, the painting shows four dogs playing poker. However, if you look closely, you\u2019ll catch an interesting detail. <\/p>\n

You can see that the dog on the left is holding a recognizable poker hand<\/a>. This is what poker players call Four of a Kind \u2014 four aces and a queen. If you\u2019re a poker player yourself, you\u2019ll know this is one lucky hand to come by. Therefore, the painting becomes a depiction of anticipation \u2014 the feeling of pure excitement you get knowing you have just what it takes to crush your opponents.<\/p>\n

The next piece that the author painted after this one also confirms that he was striving to evoke these feelings. Namely, as a playful continuation and an emphasis of the action happening in Poker Game, Coolidge\u2019s next painting is called Looks Like Four of a Kind.<\/p>\n

Other Artwork Portraying Card Play<\/h2>\n

Despite being the most well-known, \u201cDogs Playing Poker\u201d isn\u2019t the only artwork portraying card play. In fact, quite a few artists have taken inspiration from popular gambling games throughout history. Here are some of the most notable pieces they\u2019ve created.<\/p>\n

# The Card Players by Paul C\u00e9zanne<\/h3>\n

\"TheOne of the most revered French post-Impressionists, Paul C\u00e9zanne<\/strong>, was known for choosing unconventional motives for this artwork. <\/p>\n

Such was the 9-paintings series called \u201cThe Card Players<\/em>\u201d he produced in the 1890s. <\/p>\n

They show several men sitting at a table holding cards. <\/p>\n

Though it\u2019s unclear whether the game they were playing was poker, there\u2019s no doubt the players were betting big.<\/p>\n

# The Cardsharps by Carravagio<\/h3>\n

\"TheMichelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio<\/strong>, a colossal figure in Western art of the 16th century, was drawn to dark themes throughout his life. <\/p>\n

Cardsharps, one of his best-preserved paintings, is a great example. <\/p>\n

The work depicts two players sitting at a table, looking at each other\u2019s cards. <\/p>\n

It\u2019s aptly named \u201cThe Cardsharps<\/em>\u201c, a term used to describe players who secured victories using \u201cquestionable methods<\/em>\u201d.<\/p>\n

# Argument Over a Card Game by Jan Steen<\/h3>\n

\"ArgumentA century after Caravaggio, a Dutch artist, Jan Steen<\/strong>, painted a slightly more chaotic image. <\/p>\n

The Baroque-style painter portrayed a lively bar scene of an argument over a card game. A crowd of people, upset faces, raised arms, and a cluttered floor create an element of drama that\u2019s part of the appeal of gambling. <\/p>\n

They\u2019re also characteristic of Steen, who was known to use humor and depict human psychology in his artwork.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Regardless of whether you are an art lover or an avid poker player, you must have come across the famous painting known as by Cassius Marcellus Coolidge. The painting has been featured in the media numerous times, appearing in The Simpsons, the Police Academy movie, The Thomas Crown Affair, etc. \u2014 and even in Snoop…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nDogs Playing Poker - Interesting Facts and History of the Painting<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Dogs Playing Poker is one of the most popular paintings featuring your favorite game. 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