You have heard about the sensational “Dogs Playing Poker,” presumably from a dog-lover colleague. Or perhaps you had witnessed it when you binge-watched The Simpsons or Parks and Recreation. But, no matter where you discovered it from, this series of 18 paintings, painted by an American artist Cassius Marcellus Coolidge, will always remain one of the most famous dog paintings ever to exist.
Labeled “the most famous American artist you’ve never heard of,” Coolidge painted the first painting of the series “Poker Game” in 1984. However, the artwork didn’t gather any fame until a publishing company based in Minnesota, Brown & Bigelow, commissioned the 59-year-old Coolidge. The company asked him to expand the painting into a series to advertise cigars. Ergo, the charisma and hullabaloo enthused.
Let’s look at some of the more interesting and unknown facts about Coolidge and his dogs that have given the world some great laughs:
The Most Renowned A Friend in Need
The mirthful and quirky humanization of dogs became the selling point of his “Dogs Playing Poker” series. It is believed that Coolidge got the inspiration for his artworks from the paintings of Michelangelo and Paul Cézanne.
Painted in 1903, “A Friend in Need” depicts a pair of bulldogs competing with five hounds in the background. The white bulldog cheats by slipping an ace to his partner using his toes while his competitors pass around suspicious glances.
Their poker faces, whisky glasses, and smoking cigars gave these paintings an anthropomorphic theme. Perhaps the painting’s fame is the deceitful and sly nature of humans mirrored in their most loyal friends.
The Varying Interests of Coolidge and His Dogs
Coolidge and his dogs weren’t only limited to playing poker. Out of the 18 paintings, 9 illustrated dogs playing poker while the rest 7 featured them engaging in other activities. These activities included a road trip, ballroom dancing, courtroom drama, reading the mail, among others.
“Jesters Performing for a Royal Couple,” “Higher Education,” “Breach of Promise Suit” depict the personification of dogs to fit them in the social role. These famous dog arts found their way from Cigar boxes to T-shirts, calendars, coffee mugs, and posters. Their incessant reproductions and humorous approach widened its reach to pop culture and Western television.
Coolidge, as an artist, didn’t gather the same fame as his paintings. Instead, he tried his hand at many different professions from a young age, including banking, street art, cartoon illustrations, teaching, and newspaper publishing. He even built a comic foreground for amusement parks and wrote a comic opera about mosquitos.
The Transformation of Art into Kitsch
The timelessness of Coolidge’s master series is exemplified in the culture of kitsch. The “low art” overuses sentimentality, but the audience appreciates it for its witty and ironic appeal. The contemporary time saw these poker-faced dogs appearing in many kitsch-based kitchen decorations.
These adorably funny paintings also dominate in money. Coolidge’s “A Bold Bluff” and “Waterloo” managed to claim a price of $590,400, setting a record. In 2015, the art dealer Sotheby sold the Poker Game for a mind-numbing $658,000! Even “A Friend in Need” is estimated to be worth millions!
The Vehement Under appreciation of Coolidge
The popularity of the dog painting and its owner didn’t go hand in hand. Artists and art critics never considered Coolidge’s work as genuine art. He was always at the receiving end of ridicule and sneered from his colleagues and misinterpreted the critics. You can sum up his most outstanding achievement in 1934 as he “painted many pictures of dogs.”
On April 1, 2002, the Chrysler Museum of Art director in Virginia released a press statement that he was trying to acquire this oil painting series. Later, however, he revealed that it was a prank since the idea of such paintings in a museum was amusing. The commercial and kitsch status of these artworks further ruined their reputation.
The Intention Behind the Dogs Playing Poker Series
The 18 painting series, all featuring dogs as civilized humans enjoying cultured activities, had a deeper intention than humor. The series was a satire on the upper class who disguise their malice in elegant clothes and advanced attributes. Almost all of Coolidge’s paintings have the narrative of deception, bluffing, and cunningness.
The setting is always posh and organized. The dogs are dressed in lavish clothing, and their cigars and wine give an affluent vibe. These comical anthropomorphic canines are people we know and interact with, for they are the same complacent and sanctimonious art critics who never gave Coolidge the recognition he so rightly deserved.
Conclusion
Coolidge’s dog art series infiltrated homes and television and proved that there’s more to his work than ludicrous depictions. Many more famous dog paintings are stowed at the 1st Art Gallery, which is the world’s largest destination of oil art reproductions. So follow the modern trend and bring these sophisticated dogs to your home to have a burst of laughter.
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