Framed Poker Game by Cassius Marcellus Coolidge

OK, OK... this is wayyy off-brand, but we just love this series! Poker Game was the first in what became Coolidge's signature series of dogs sitting around a table engaging in human activities. In this early work, several bulldogs and hounds are gathered for a serious game of poker. They're dressed in collars, seated upright, and fully engrossed in their hands, complete with cigars and stacks of chips. The absurdity and charm come from the contrast between the natural behavior of dogs and the high-stakes, human-like scenario they’re placed in. While originally created for commercial purposes (later works were commissioned by Brown & Bigelow for cigar advertisements in the early 1900s), Poker Game and the entire series gained cult status in American pop culture. Often viewed as kitsch, the paintings have also been reinterpreted as satirical takes on human vice, camaraderie, and competition.