For years, men have proudly displayed one sort of painting. This painting isn’t of the country side or things of that nature. For those who love poker, there are many who have one painting in particular. This painting would be no other than the dogs playing poker painting.

While many think that there is only one of these painting, this isn’t true at all. As we have done our homework, we have figured out that this is part of a collection. In this collection, there are sixteen oil paintings that were created by the artist C.M. Coolidge. This was created in 1903. It was actually a job he did to promote a certain brand of cigars. Then in 1910 another painting was created. This painting was called “Looks like four of a Kind.”

As we mentioned before, there are sixteen paintings that were created. Each one has a different title depicting poker. These titles are: A Bold Bluff, A Friend in Need, His Station and Four Aces, Pinched with Four Aces, Poker Sympathy, Post Mortem, Sitting Up with a Sick Friend, Stranger in Camp, as well as Waterloo and St. Bernard Wins on a Bluff.

Many want to know how he got the idea to paint these. They also want to know how got the composition in order to stage the dogs. Well, it was all inspired by people actually playing the game. He got this idea from other paintings of human poker players that were created by other artists. Such artists were: Caravaggio, Georges de La Tour, and Paul Cezanne.

However, one interesting piece of fact that we have learned was that Coolidge had inspiration for the dog in the St. Bernard Wins on a Bluff painting. This was created and was painted to look like the St. Bernard that his friend Theodore Lang. Lang called this dog Captain. Coolidge has won much fame. How much fame? Ever since 1903, many have loved these paintings.

However, the Waterloo painting and the St. Bernard Wins on a Bluff painting were sold. We’re talking thee originals were sold at an auction. How much did they go for? They went for five hundred ninety thousand four hundred American dollars. That’s how famous his work has become. This was sold on February 15, 2005. The price that these paintings went for when Coolidge was alive wasn’t nearly that much. It only went for seventy four thousand dollars. That is American dollars.

Many people love these paintings. Many replicas are sold. For men, it depicts the love for the poker game and it has man’s best friend in the picture. What more could a guy want? It’s something that many people laugh at when they see these paintings for the first time. However, for the poker player, it’s just the love of the game and goes to show that anyone can play the game when they learn the tricks involved. Many items have been created and continue to be created. This might be the gift for the poker player that is avid at this game.