Dogs Playing Poker
Dogs Playing Poker refers collectively to an 1894 painting and a series of sixteen oil paintings by American artist Cassius Marcellus Coolidge, featuring anthropomorphic dogs dressed in human clothing and engaged in poker games as well as other social activities.[1] Nine of the paintings specifically depict dogs playing poker, with titles such as A Friend in Need, Waterloo, and His Station and Four Aces.[2] Coolidge, born on September 18, 1844, in Antwerp, New York, and who died on January 13, 1934, was a self-taught commercial artist known for his humorous illustrations.[3] In 1903, he signed a contract with the advertising firm Brown & Bigelow to produce the series for promotional calendars advertising cigars, marking a shift from his earlier works like cartoonish dog illustrations on cigar boxes dating back to the 1890s.[1] The paintings were designed for mass appeal, blending relatable human behaviors with canine characters to create whimsical, accessible scenes that resonated with everyday audiences.[2] Despite initial dismissal by fine art circles as kitsch, the series achieved enduring popularity in American pop culture, appearing on merchandise like posters, T-shirts, and mugs, and referenced in media such as the television show Cheers.[1] Original works have commanded high auction prices, with Poker Game selling for $658,000 at Sotheby's in 2015, underscoring their status as collectible icons of early 20th-century commercial art.[2]Origins and Creation
Cassius Marcellus Coolidge
Cassius Marcellus Coolidge was born on September 18, 1844, in Antwerp, New York, to Nathan and Martha Coolidge, who were successful Quaker farmers committed to abolitionist causes.[4] Growing up in a rural environment, he displayed early artistic talent.[5] Coolidge passed away on January 13, 1934, in New York City at the age of 89.[6] In his early career, Coolidge pursued diverse professions, beginning as a druggist after moving to Rochester, New York, in 1872, where he opened a store with his brother John.[7] He also worked as a sign painter, founded a weekly newspaper called the Antwerp News in 1882, and established the Bank of Antwerp, demonstrating inventive ingenuity. He created "comic foregrounds"—cutout standees with exaggerated painted figures into which people could insert their faces for novelty photographs, a concept he patented on April 14, 1874, under U.S. Patent No. 149,724 for "Processes of Taking Photographic Pictures." These inventions gained popularity at carnivals and tourist attractions, reflecting his entrepreneurial spirit.[8] Coolidge transitioned to cartooning and illustration in the late 19th century, contributing humorous drawings to local newspapers and later producing work for national magazines and advertising campaigns.[9] Personally, Coolidge remained a bachelor for much of his life before marrying Mary Gertrude Kimmell, a 29-year-old art student, on June 29, 1909, in Manhattan, New York; the couple had one daughter, Gertrude Marcella Coolidge, born in 1910.[6] Coolidge's artistic style was marked by humor and satire, often depicting scenes from everyday American life with a blend of realistic detail and anthropomorphic elements to create whimsical, relatable narratives.[10] His illustrations captured the lighthearted absurdities of human behavior, prioritizing entertainment and accessibility over fine art conventions.[1]Commission and Production
In 1903, Cassius Marcellus Coolidge was commissioned by Brown & Bigelow, a St. Paul, Minnesota-based printing and advertising firm specializing in calendars and promotional materials, to produce a series of illustrations featuring anthropomorphic dogs engaged in human activities.[1] The commission aimed to create humorous, relatable scenes for cigar advertisements, appealing primarily to male consumers through lighthearted depictions of dogs smoking, drinking, and gambling, which aligned with the leisure culture of the era.[11] This built on Coolidge's earlier experience illustrating whimsical dog-themed artwork for cigar boxes in the 1870s and 1880s.[12] Between 1903 and 1910, Coolidge produced 16 oil paintings for the series, working in a commercial style suited to reproduction.[13] He received a flat fee for the originals, estimated between $2,000 and $10,000 total—equivalent to roughly $70,000 to $370,000 in 2025 dollars, adjusted for inflation—reflecting the modest compensation typical for advertising illustrations at the time.[12] The paintings were executed in oil on canvas, with Coolidge focusing on large breeds such as bulldogs, pointers, and St. Bernards to convey masculine camaraderie in poker settings.[14] Following completion, Brown & Bigelow reproduced the works as chromolithographs for widespread promotional use, printing hundreds of thousands of copies as calendar inserts, posters, and advertisements targeted at tobacco retailers and shops across the United States.[15] These materials were distributed to enhance brand visibility for cigars, capitalizing on the paintings' folksy humor to engage everyday consumers in an era when such novelty art was a staple of commercial marketing.[16]The Paintings
Overview and Artistic Style
The Dogs Playing Poker series by American artist Cassius Marcellus Coolidge depicts anthropomorphic dogs engaged in poker games, employing humor to satirize human social behaviors and vices such as gambling and bluffing.[1] These canine figures serve as everyman proxies, poking fun at the pretensions and leisure pursuits of 19th- and early 20th-century American middle-class life through their human-like interactions around card tables.[17] Coolidge's background in creating humorous advertising illustrations, including dog-themed designs for cigar boxes, informed this playful yet pointed thematic approach.[18] Artistically, Coolidge rendered the dogs with precise anatomical realism in their fur and forms, juxtaposed against exaggerated human expressions—ranging from sly grins to intense stares—and accessories like cigars, hats, and glasses to heighten the comedic effect.[19] He utilized warm, subdued lighting to simulate the hazy, intimate atmosphere of smoke-filled poker dens, fostering a sense of camaraderie and tension that underscores the series' satirical edge.[13] Subtle symbolism emerges in the dogs' postures and gazes, which nod to poker conventions like feigned innocence or calculated deception, amplifying the humor without overt moralizing.[20] Comprising 16 oil-on-canvas paintings commissioned for promotional use, the series varies in composition with groups of four to nine dogs participating in poker variants such as draw poker, emphasizing ensemble dynamics over individual narratives.[21] The original works, executed between 1903 and 1910, remain largely in private collections.[22]Specific Works in the Series
The "Dogs Playing Poker" series consists of 16 oil paintings commissioned by the Minnesota-based advertising firm Brown & Bigelow from Cassius Marcellus Coolidge between 1903 and 1910 to promote cigars through calendar illustrations. Nine of these works depict dogs engaged in poker, while the remaining seven show dogs in other anthropomorphic social or domestic settings, maintaining the overall satirical theme of canines mimicking human behaviors. The originals of most paintings are held in private collections or their locations remain unknown, as they were produced primarily for reproduction rather than public display; notable exceptions include auction sales, such as the pair "A Bold Bluff" and "Waterloo," which fetched $590,400 at Doyle New York in 2005 to an undisclosed buyer.[23][24][1] The paintings vary in the number of dogs featured (typically 4 to 9), poker actions like bluffing, betting, or consoling losers, and props such as cigars, whiskey bottles, chip stacks, newspapers, and card tables. Below is a catalog of all 16 works, listed alphabetically with their years and key visual details.- A Bachelor's Dog (1903): A single anthropomorphic dog relaxes in an armchair, smoking a cigar and reading mail or a newspaper in a cluttered bachelor's den, with scattered playing cards and a bottle of beer suggesting recent leisure activities.[24][25]
- A Bold Bluff (1903): Five dogs at a poker table, centered on a confident Saint Bernard holding a cigar and bluffing with a weak pair of deuces while staring down a bulldog opponent; chips and cards are prominent, with other dogs observing tensely.[26][24]
- Breach of Promise Suit (1903): Dogs in a courtroom setting, with one testifying on a witness stand amid legal props like gavels and documents, evoking a breach-of-promise trial without poker elements.[24][25]
- A Friend in Need (1903): Seven dogs around a dimly lit poker table in the early morning, featuring a bulldog covertly passing an ace under the table to aid his compatriot, accompanied by whiskey bottles, ashtrays, and discarded cigars.[27][24]
- A Friend's Visit (1903): A group of dogs gathered in a domestic interior for a friendly visit, with some seated and conversing over drinks and newspapers, highlighting social camaraderie.[24][25]
- His Station and Four Aces (1905): Five dogs at a poker table reacting to a smug bulldog revealing a winning four-aces hand, with stacks of chips, cigars, and bottles emphasizing the high-stakes moment.[24]
- A Hot Game (1903): Six dogs intensely focused on a heated poker round, betting aggressively with visible chip piles, cards, and tobacco accessories on the table.[24][25]
- Laying Down the Law (1903): A pair of dogs in a confrontational argument, one gesturing emphatically with a newspaper or pointer, set in a homey interior without poker but implying domestic dispute.[24][25]
- One to Five (1903): Five dogs at a poker table during a tense betting phase, with one player holding a strong hand (possibly a straight), chips and cigars scattered amid expressions of calculation.[24][28]
- Poker Sympathy (1903): Six dogs consoling a dejected loser after a poker hand, patting his back sympathetically around the table strewn with cards, chips, and empty glasses.[24][28]
- Post Mortem (1903): A small group of dogs reviewing a just-ended poker game, examining cards and discussing outcomes over drinks in a post-game analysis.[24][29]
- Sitting up with a Sick Friend (1905): Five dogs, including females in fashionable attire, gathered around a bedridden dog in a sickroom vigil, with flowers, medicine bottles, and a somber mood; unique for featuring female characters.[24][30]
- The Reunion (1903): Several dogs joyfully reuniting in a parlor, shaking paws and chatting over cigars and refreshments, evoking camaraderie without cards.[24][19]
- The Stake (1903): Four dogs in a high-tension poker standoff, focused on raising the stakes with large chip bets and intense stares across the table.[24][25]
- Stranger in Town (1903): A group of local dogs welcoming an arriving stranger with handshakes and introductions in a town setting, complete with luggage and social props.[24][25]
- Waterloo (1910): Five dogs concluding a poker game, showing the Saint Bernard from "A Bold Bluff" triumphantly collecting winnings after his bluff succeeds, with dejected opponents and scattered chips.[31][24]