Description
Poker Game cross stitch pattern is a replica of the famous kitsch painting by Cassius Marcellus Coolidge. Like many great artists, Coolidge’s paintings were ridiculed by contemporaries in the early 1900s, but over the years his dogs playing poker have become pop culture icons. In fact the original Poker Game fetched a slick USD$658,000 at a 2015 auction.
The Project
Poker Game is a large, full coverage cross stitch and the finished piece measures 72.6 x 60.2cm when stitched on 14 count Aida cloth (400 x 332 stitches). I’ve rated this project Challenging because there is a lot of confetti and thread changes. If you’re up for the challenge though, I think you’ll adore how this project retains the textures, kitsch appeal, and funny expressions on the dog’s faces.
You’ll also find an interpretation of the artist’s insignia, text on the whiskey bottle, cigar ash, and faded upholstery. It’s will look amazing in the den, bar, or games room.
The Players
Here’s a bit more about the history of the artwork behind our Poker Game cross stitch pattern from My Modern Met:
It’s not commonly known, but Dogs Playing Poker by Cassius Marcellus Coolidge refers to not just one painting, but 18 of them! The series includes the artist’s original ‘Poker Game’ (1894) painting, along with 16 other oil paintings commissioned in 1903 by Brown & Bigelow to advertise cigars, and an additional 1910 painting. All eighteen of these paintings feature comical, humanized dogs; however, only eleven of the paintings actually depict poker-faced pups playing cards around a table.
The Artist
Cassius Marcellus Coolidge was an American illustrator and painter who lived from 1834 to 1934. He is famous for his Dogs Play Poker series of anthropomorphic dogs, which have become cultural icons.
The Dogs
Keen to stitch more in the Dogs Playing Poker series? I have 6 x companion charts inspired by the artwork and illustrations of Kash Coolidge. You can buy them individually, or save 30% by purchasing the whole set.
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