Leo Martínez
Dogs have been a subject of fascination for artists throughout history, with many of the most well-known artists in the world having depicted man's best friend in their works. One of the most famous dog paintings is Cassius Marcellus Coolidge's Dogs Playing Poker, which refers to a series of artworks featuring anthropomorphized dogs seated around a poker table. The series consists of eighteen paintings, with the first, Poker Game, selling for $658,000 at a 2015 auction. The paintings are often regarded as kitsch in the art world but have become iconic, with references in popular culture ranging from music videos to television shows and films.
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What You'll Learn
The artist: Cassius Marcellus Coolidge
Cassius Marcellus Coolidge, born on September 18, 1844, in Antwerp, New York, was an American artist known primarily for his paintings of dogs in human situations. He often signed his work with the name "Kash Koolidge" for comic effect. Coolidge had little formal training as an artist but had a talent for creating playfully surreal and humorous illustrations, which he sold to various magazines. Before becoming an in-demand illustrator, he worked as a druggist, sign painter, founded a bank and a newspaper, and started painting dogs.
Coolidge is best remembered for his absurdist canine series, with his first painting in the series, 'Poker Game' (1894), featuring four dogs playing an intense game of poker. The painting sold for $658,000 at a Sotheby's New York auction in 2015. Coolidge's work often depicted dogs in humanistic scenarios, including a football game, a road trip, and a jester performing for a royal couple. One of his most popular works is 'A Friend in Need' (1903), which was reproduced in calendars advertising cigars.
Coolidge's paintings are often regarded as kitsch in the art world, with some considering them a poor-taste parody of 'genuine' art. However, others propose that the series was a satirical commentary on the upper class. Coolidge's work has been replicated in various comic forms and has appeared in films, TV shows, cartoons, songs, plays, and artworks.
Coolidge passed away on January 13, 1934, in Staten Island, New York, and was buried at Hillside Cemetery in Antwerp, New York. His legacy includes 34 known artworks, with his dog paintings remaining his most famous and beloved contributions to the art world.
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The subject: Four dogs playing poker
The "Dogs Playing Poker" series by Cassius Marcellus Coolidge, also known as C.M. Coolidge or Cash Coolidge, refers to a collection of 18 paintings created in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The series includes paintings such as "Poker Game" (1894), which depicts four dogs playing poker, as well as other works like "A Friend in Need" (1903), "A Bold Bluff" (1903), and "Waterloo" (1906). These paintings feature anthropomorphized dogs engaging in various human activities like playing cards, smoking pipes and cigars, drinking whiskey, and participating in sports.
The "Dogs Playing Poker" series has become a well-known example of kitsch art, often reproduced on calendars, cigar boxes, and advertising materials. Despite being considered whimsical and playful, the paintings have endured and embedded themselves into US pop culture, appearing in numerous films, television shows, and other popular culture references. The series has sparked debates about the definition of art and its subjective nature, with some critics deriding it as cheap kitsch while others appreciate its whimsical and adorable qualities.
Coolidge's artistic talent, though self-taught, lay in creating playful and surreal illustrations that resonated with the public. His works often injected humour and satire into everyday scenarios, reflecting the society of his time. The "Dogs Playing Poker" series, in particular, tapped into the rising popularity of card games, especially poker, as a social pastime during the turn of the 20th century. By humanizing animals and presenting them in relatable contexts, Coolidge created a formula that has proven enduring and entertaining for people from all walks of life.
The paintings in the series have sold for hundreds of thousands of dollars, with "Poker Game" fetching \$658,000 at a 2015 auction. The original artworks are now expected to sell for even higher prices, reflecting their deep connection to American culture and their lasting impact on art and popular culture. "A Friend in Need," the most popular painting in the series, is rumoured to be worth millions, although it has never been put up for sale.
Beyond their whimsical nature and widespread reproduction, the "Dogs Playing Poker" paintings have endured due to their accessibility and ability to appeal to a wide audience. Coolidge's works, with their cheeky expressions and distinct personalities, have become iconic, resonating with people from various backgrounds and ages. The series has sparked conversations and debates about art, with some arguing that it holds a mirror to society and subtly mocks the upper-class excesses and attitudes of Coolidge's time.
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The series: 18 paintings in total
"Dogs Playing Poker" is a series of paintings by Cassius Marcellus Coolidge, featuring anthropomorphized dogs seated around a poker table. The series consists of 18 paintings in total, including the well-known "Poker Game," which sold for $658,000 in 2015. The painting depicts four dogs playing poker, with one dog in the middle hiding his hand contemplatively.
The series was commissioned by Brown & Bigelow, a Minnesota-based company, to create 16 oil paintings advertising cigars. Nine of the paintings depicted dogs playing poker, while the other seven showed dogs engaging in various human activities like ballroom dancing, reading mail, and watching a football game. The final two paintings in the series were "Looks Like Four of a Kind," completed in 1910, and the original "Poker Game," which was the first of the series and was painted in either 1894 or 1903.
The "Dogs Playing Poker" series has become a classic example of kitsch art, often reproduced and referenced in popular culture, including in films, television shows, and music videos. Despite being regarded as humorous and not considered "serious" art by some, the paintings have gained widespread recognition and continue to be reproduced and referenced in modern times.
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The price: Sold for $658,000 in 2015
The painting "Poker Game" by Cassius Marcellus Coolidge, also known as "Dogs Playing Poker", sold for $658,000 at a Sotheby's New York auction in 2015. This was the highest price paid for a Coolidge at the time. The painting is part of a series of 18 works featuring anthropomorphized dogs, 16 of which were commissioned by Brown & Bigelow to advertise cigars. The series depicts dogs engaging in various human activities, including playing poker, ballroom dancing, reading mail, and watching a football game. Despite being regarded as kitsch or lowbrow culture by some art critics, the "Dogs Playing Poker" series has become a classic decoration, reproduced and referenced in popular culture numerous times. The paintings have been featured in music videos, films, television shows, and artworks, and have become synonymous with poker and Las Vegas.
The "Poker Game" painting, completed in 1894, depicts four dogs sitting around a poker table, drinking whiskey, smoking cigars, and playing poker. The dogs are usually larger breeds, such as Saint Bernards, and are portrayed as upper-middle-class lawyers and businessmen. The painting's humor and surrealness have made it well-known, with references in "The Simpsons", "Cheers", "NewsRadio", and other popular culture works. The first painting in the series, "Poker Game", is considered the most famous and iconic, with nine of the 16 commissioned works depicting dogs playing poker.
The "Dogs Playing Poker" series has sparked debates about its artistic value, with some critics dismissing it as kitsch or a parody of genuine art. However, others have interpreted the series as a satirical commentary on the excesses and attitudes of the upper class. The paintings' popularity has endured, with reproductions adorning the walls of pubs, restaurants, and homes, and the images firmly embedded in American popular culture.
The sale of "Poker Game" for $658,000 in 2015 highlighted the enduring appeal of the "Dogs Playing Poker" series and solidified its place in the art world, despite the debates surrounding its artistic merit. The painting's high sale price also reflected its cultural significance and the public's fascination with these playful and surreal depictions of anthropomorphized dogs engaging in human activities.
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The popularity: Replicated and referenced in popular culture
The "Dogs Playing Poker" series by Cassius Marcellus Coolidge is one of the most well-known paintings of dogs, and its popularity has led to it being replicated and referenced in popular culture. The series consists of eighteen paintings, with the first, "Poker Game," completed in 1894 and sold for $658,000 at a 2015 auction. The painting depicts four bespectacled Saint Bernards sitting around a poker table, drinking whiskey, smoking cigars, and playing poker.
Almost a decade after the first painting, Coolidge was commissioned by the Minnesota-based promotional firm Brown & Bigelow to create sixteen oil paintings to advertise cigars. Nine of these paintings depicted dogs playing poker, while the other seven featured dogs engaged in other human activities such as ballroom dancing, reading mail, and watching a football game. The final piece, "Looks Like Four of a Kind," was painted in 1910, bringing the total number of artworks in the series to eighteen.
The "Dogs Playing Poker" series has become a classic yet kitsch decoration, with numerous copies and variations of the scene created with different breeds of dogs and even other animals. The paintings have been reproduced, modified, and referenced in various forms of popular culture, including music, television, film, and theatre. For example, the paintings have been referenced in Snoop Dogg music videos, the Disney Pixar film "Up," and episodes of television shows such as "The Simpsons," "Cheers," "White Collar," and "Family Guy."
The series has also been described by critic Annette Ferrara as being "indelibly burned into... the American collective-schlock subconscious... through incessant reproduction on all manner of pop ephemera." This idea is supported by Martin J. Smith and Patrick J. Kiger, who proposed in their 2004 book "Poplorica: A Popular History of the Fads, Mavericks, Inventions, and Lore that Shaped Modern America" that the series was a satirical collection intended to mock the upper class.
Overall, the "Dogs Playing Poker" series by Cassius Marcellus Coolidge has achieved widespread recognition and popularity, with its playful and surreal nature resonating with audiences and leading to its replication and reference in various forms of popular culture.
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Frequently asked questions
Cassius Marcellus Coolidge.
There are four dogs in the first painting of the series, titled "Poker Game".
The dogs are seated around a poker table, drinking whiskey, smoking cigars, and playing poker.
The dogs are St. Bernards.
The painting was sold for $658,000 at a Sotheby’s New York auction.
