Thursday, February 17, 2005

Dogs Playing Poker

What was once thought of as the biggest joke in the art world is now a best seller. That's right, Cassius Marcellus Coolidge's painting A Bold Bluff:



And it's companion piece, Waterloo sold for an astounding $590,400! So many jokes have been made at the expense of these paintings that I'm going to keep my hand out of it (d'oh). In terms of artistic merit, they are finely painted advertisement illustrations from the early 20th century, a technique that has been lost in today's computer-driven illustration. They are imaginative and whimsical, but they are also sooo cliche. I'm sure some high-rolling poker nerd purchased them to keep in their card room for good luck. Or maybe they will end up on the wall of some casino in Vegas. Either way, you can get your own print of A Bold Bluff at art.com.

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