Description
A Bold Bluff cross stitch pattern is a replica of the kitsch painting ‘Judge St. Bernard Stands Pat on Nothing’ from the Dogs Playing Poker series. Painted around 1909 by Cassius Marcellus Coolidge, this fun painting is now held in a private collection. It (allegedly) fetched a cool half million when is was sold to a collector in the early 2000s.
The Project
This is a large, full coverage cross stitch and the finished piece measures 72.6cm x 54.4cm when stitched on 14 count Aida cloth. I’ve captured a lot of the fine detail in the project, including the gaudy colours and facial expressions of the bluffing dogs.
How much fun will it be to stitch that faded upholstery, lime-green velvet curtains, cards, and scattered poker chips? I do have to warn you though. There is a LOT of confetti and quick thread changes in this cross stitch.
Tackling this project is going to take some perseverance, but it’s going to look amazing in the games room.
The Players
Here’s a bit more about the history of the painting from an article in the New York Times:
Between 1906 and his death in 1934, Coolidge produced 16 pictures of dogs playing poker for the Brown & Bigelow company, a purveyor of calendars. Large dogs like collies, mastiffs, Great Danes and St. Bernards are typically arrayed in a comfortable den around a card table with a green felt top. A shaded lamp centered above them casts the scene’s only light.
The Artist
Cassius Marcellus Coolidge lived from 1834 to 1934 and is mainly recognised for his infamous Dogs Play Poker series. He was commissioned by the advertising firm Brown & Bigelow to create 16 x paintings of anthropomorphic dogs, which were then used on promotional items like calendars and cigar boxes.
The Dogs
Keen for more dogs playing poker? Check out these companion charts inspired by Cassius Marcellus Coolidge’s original artwork. You can also save 30% by purchasing the full series.
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