Cassius Marcellus Coolidge (September 18, 1844 – January 13, 1934) was an American artist, mainly known for his series of paintings Dogs Playing Poker. Known as "Cash" or "Kash" in his family, he often signed his work in the 19th century with the latter spelling, sometimes[clarification needed] spelling his name, for comic effect, as Kash Koolidge.
After leaving the family farm in the early 1860s,[1] Coolidge had many careers. Between 1868 and 1872 he worked as a druggist and sign painter, founded a bank and a newspaper, then moved from Antwerp, New York, to Rochester, where he started painting dogs in human situations.[2]
Editorial workEdit
Coolidge began his art career in his twenties, one of his early jobs being the creation of cartoons for a local newspaper.
Comic foregroundsEdit
He is credited[3] with creating "comic foregrounds," novelty photographs which combined a portrait of the sitter with a caricatured body, produced by the sitter holding between two sticks a canvas on which Coolidge drew or painted the caricature, which he patented.[4] The final product was similar to the photographs produced using photo stand-ins at midways and carnivals where people place their heads into openings in life-size caricatures.[5]
Calendar paintingsEdit
Pinched with Four Aces by C. M. Coolidge, painted in 1903.
According to the advertising firmBrown & Bigelow, then primarily a producer of advertising calendars, Coolidge began his relationship with the firm in 1903. From the mid-1900s to the mid-1910s, Coolidge created a series of sixteen oil paintings for them, all of which featured anthropomorphic dogs, including nine paintings of Dogs Playing Poker,[6] a motif that Coolidge is credited with inventing.
The series of 16 commissioned paintings and their themes are:
A Bachelor's Dog – reading the mail
A Bold Bluff – poker
Breach of Promise Suit – testifying in court
A Friend in Need – poker, cheating
His Station and Four Aces – poker
New Year's Eve in Dogville – ballroom dancing
One to Tie Two to Win – baseball
Pinched with Four Aces – poker, illegal gambling
Poker Sympathy – poker
Post Mortem – poker, camaraderie
The Reunion – smoking and drinking, camaraderie
Riding the Goat – Masonic initiation
Sitting up with a Sick Friend – poker, gender relations
Stranger in Camp – poker, camping
Ten Miles to a Garage – travel, car trouble, teamwork
Waterloo – poker
Other paintingsEdit
Additional paintings in a similar vein include:
Kelly Pool (ca. 1909) – pool
Named for the then-common pool-game Kelly pool, Coolidge's painting of dogs playing pool may be considered a progenitor of another memeticpop-culture art genre, that of "dogs playing pool."
Auction recordsEdit
On February 15, 2006, two Coolidge paintings, A Bold Bluff and Waterloo, which may have been the originals of the paintings used by Brown & Bigelow, went on the auction block at Doyle New York. Expected to fetch between $30,000 and $50,000, the pair sold for $590,400. The result surpassed the previous auction record of $74,000 for a Coolidge.[7]
Coolidge's 1894 Poker Game realized $658,000 at a Sotheby's New York sale on November 18, 2015.[8]
ReferencesEdit
^ abcBarry, Dan (June 14, 2002). "Artist's Fame Is Fleeting, But Dog Poker Is Forever". The New York Times. Retrieved December 6, 2012.
^. Santa Cruz Public Library. December 18, 2007. Archived from the original on June 26, 2010. (quoted at blog dogs)
^Edwards, Phil (May 29, 2015). "Ever stick your face in a cutout? Meet the kitsch genius who invented them". Vox. Coolidge notes that technically what we think of as comic foregrounds today were around before his version. But thanks to his patent — and the marketing gusto to make both versions successful — he became famous as the inventor.
^Cassius Marcellus Coolidge (1874), US149724A: Processes of Taking Photographic Pictures – via Wikimedia Commons
^McManus, James (December 3, 2005). "Play It Close to the Muzzle and Paws on the Table". The New York Times.
^. Ooo Woo – Complete Dog Resource. 2008. Archived from the original on April 11, 2017. Retrieved September 1, 2006.
^"'Dogs Playing Poker' sell for $590K". Money.com. CNN. February 16, 2005. Retrieved September 11, 2006.
^Jack, Moore (November 20, 2015). "That Dogs Playing Poker Painting Just Sold for Over $650,000". GQ.
BibliographyEdit
Davidson, Carla (February 1973). "A Man's Life". American Heritage. p. 56. ISSN 0002-8738.
Fredrickson, Gardner (2006). Poker Dogs: The Life and Work of C. M. Coolidge. Writers' Collective. ISBN978-1594110382.
External linksEdit
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Cassius Marcellus Coolidge.
cassius, marcellus, coolidge, september, 1844, january, 1934, american, artist, mainly, known, series, paintings, dogs, playing, poker, known, cash, kash, family, often, signed, work, 19th, century, with, latter, spelling, sometimes, clarification, needed, spe. Cassius Marcellus Coolidge September 18 1844 January 13 1934 was an American artist mainly known for his series of paintings Dogs Playing Poker Known as Cash or Kash in his family he often signed his work in the 19th century with the latter spelling sometimes clarification needed spelling his name for comic effect as Kash Koolidge Cassius Marcellus CoolidgeBorn 1844 09 18 September 18 1844Antwerp New York United StatesDiedJanuary 13 1934 1934 01 13 aged 89 Staten Island New York 1 NationalityAmericanKnown forIllustration paintingNotable workDogs Playing Poker Contents 1 Early life 2 Career 2 1 Editorial work 2 2 Comic foregrounds 2 3 Calendar paintings 2 4 Other paintings 3 Auction records 4 References 5 Bibliography 6 External linksEarly life EditCoolidge was born in Antwerp New York to abolitionist Quaker farmers and was raised in Philadelphia New York 1 He had little formal training as an artist Career Edit nbsp Poker Game oil on canvas 1894After leaving the family farm in the early 1860s 1 Coolidge had many careers Between 1868 and 1872 he worked as a druggist and sign painter founded a bank and a newspaper then moved from Antwerp New York to Rochester where he started painting dogs in human situations 2 Editorial work Edit Coolidge began his art career in his twenties one of his early jobs being the creation of cartoons for a local newspaper Comic foregrounds Edit He is credited 3 with creating comic foregrounds novelty photographs which combined a portrait of the sitter with a caricatured body produced by the sitter holding between two sticks a canvas on which Coolidge drew or painted the caricature which he patented 4 The final product was similar to the photographs produced using photo stand ins at midways and carnivals where people place their heads into openings in life size caricatures 5 Calendar paintings Edit nbsp Pinched with Four Aces by C M Coolidge painted in 1903 According to the advertising firm Brown amp Bigelow then primarily a producer of advertising calendars Coolidge began his relationship with the firm in 1903 From the mid 1900s to the mid 1910s Coolidge created a series of sixteen oil paintings for them all of which featured anthropomorphic dogs including nine paintings of Dogs Playing Poker 6 a motif that Coolidge is credited with inventing The series of 16 commissioned paintings and their themes are A Bachelor s Dog reading the mail A Bold Bluff poker Breach of Promise Suit testifying in court A Friend in Need poker cheating His Station and Four Aces poker New Year s Eve in Dogville ballroom dancing One to Tie Two to Win baseball Pinched with Four Aces poker illegal gambling Poker Sympathy poker Post Mortem poker camaraderie The Reunion smoking and drinking camaraderie Riding the Goat Masonic initiation Sitting up with a Sick Friend poker gender relations Stranger in Camp poker camping Ten Miles to a Garage travel car trouble teamwork Waterloo poker Other paintings Edit Additional paintings in a similar vein include Kelly Pool ca 1909 poolNamed for the then common pool game Kelly pool Coolidge s painting of dogs playing pool may be considered a progenitor of another memetic pop culture art genre that of dogs playing pool Auction records EditOn February 15 2006 two Coolidge paintings A Bold Bluff and Waterloo which may have been the originals of the paintings used by Brown amp Bigelow went on the auction block at Doyle New York Expected to fetch between 30 000 and 50 000 the pair sold for 590 400 The result surpassed the previous auction record of 74 000 for a Coolidge 7 Coolidge s 1894 Poker Game realized 658 000 at a Sotheby s New York sale on November 18 2015 8 References Edit a b c Barry Dan June 14 2002 Artist s Fame Is Fleeting But Dog Poker Is Forever The New York Times Retrieved December 6 2012 Did You Know Dogs Playing Poker Painting Santa Cruz Public Library December 18 2007 Archived from the original on June 26 2010 quoted at blog dogs Edwards Phil May 29 2015 Ever stick your face in a cutout Meet the kitsch genius who invented them Vox Coolidge notes that technically what we think of as comic foregrounds today were around before his version But thanks to his patent and the marketing gusto to make both versions successful he became famous as the inventor Cassius Marcellus Coolidge 1874 US149724A Processes of Taking Photographic Pictures via Wikimedia Commons McManus James December 3 2005 Play It Close to the Muzzle and Paws on the Table The New York Times Dogs Playing Poker Ooo Woo Complete Dog Resource 2008 Archived from the original on April 11 2017 Retrieved September 1 2006 Dogs Playing Poker sell for 590K Money com CNN February 16 2005 Retrieved September 11 2006 Jack Moore November 20 2015 That Dogs Playing Poker Painting Just Sold for Over 650 000 GQ Bibliography EditDavidson Carla February 1973 A Man s Life American Heritage p 56 ISSN 0002 8738 Fredrickson Gardner 2006 Poker Dogs The Life and Work of C M Coolidge Writers Collective ISBN 978 1594110382 External links Edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Cassius Marcellus Coolidge Works by Cassius M Coolidge at Project Gutenberg Unofficial Cassius Coolidge biography from DogsPlayingPoker org Cassius Marcellus Coolidge at Find a Grave nbsp Article in Watertown Daily Times announcing Philadelphia New York Museum and noting Philadelphia New York as the true birthplace of Cassius M Coolidge Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Cassius Marcellus Coolidge amp oldid 1176630789, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
