Infographic courtesy of Vet Medic

Artist Cassius Marcellus Coolidge (1844 – 1934)

At some point in your life you have probably seen, or maybe even owned, a reproduction of one of the popular paintings in the Dogs Playing Poker series.

These pictures feature various breeds of dogs sitting around a poker table and enjoying a classic game loved by millions around the world.

One highlights dogs that are dressed like their human counterparts. In another, the canines are dressed as police officers conducting a raid on a card game. There is also one called, Poker Sympathy featuring a bunch of dogs laughing at a buddy who just lost everything at the table.

These paintings hang in businesses that cater primarily to men, such as bars, barber shops and pool halls but may be quite prominent in the man caves for those you know.

Considering their popularity, you would think that a famous artist created them, but in fact it was Cassius Marcellus Coolidge an unknown artist and ad man in the United States.

Employed by the advertising firm of Brown & Bigelow in the early 20th century, his job was to create a series of paintings featuring dogs in various human activities. Of the sixteen paintings he created, 9 of them featured pet dogs playing poker.

Artist C.M. Coolidge (1844 – 1934)

Dog breeds featured in Coolidge’s creations included an English bulldog, a German boxer, a bloodhound, and a collie and his inspiration for the pieces is believed to have came a painting called, The Cheat With the Ace of Clubs.

Believed to be an artistic commentary on the upper class vanity by French artist, Georges de La Tours, The Cheat with the Ace of Clubs featured a scene very similar to Dogs Playing Poker .

Believe it or not, the Dogs Playing Poker series of paintings are among the most reproduced artworks in Americana and can be found on ashtrays, personal checks, t-shirts, metal signs, and more.

In fact, its popularity skyrocketed after the poker boom of 2003 when Chris Moneymaker won $2 Million at the World Series of Poker.

Some have even analyzed these paintings and assigned the dogs different playing styles of WSOP card players resulting in an amazing escalation in value so that when two of Coolidge’s original works were put up at auction in 2005 they sold for $590,000.

Beauty in art is said to be in the eye of the beholder, and while that is true, another reality of art is that if you make a piece that people can identify with, people will buy it.

That is the case with Dogs Playing Poker, it is a classic painting featuring a game that many love with characters that are just as lovable.

Author: Dogs Playing Poker by CM Coolidge was created in collaboration with Elizabeth Bridges of Slope Interactive.

We thought it was a cute infographic from our pals in the UK.

Infographic created by Matt Beswick courtesy of Pet365.

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