Lot Details
Lot 3687
Cassius Marcellus Coolidge American, 1844-1934 A BOLD BLUFF and WATERLOO: TWO
American, 1844-1934
A BOLD BLUFF and WATERLOO: TWO
Each signed CM Coolidge (ll)
Oils on canvas
Each 24 x 34 inches
Provenance:
Collection of William Zeckendorf, Sr.
Private Collection, Connecticut
Cassius Marcellus Coolidge was a man of many talents who, over his long lifetime was a banker, shopkeeper, inventor and painter - he even penned an opera. However, he is certainly best known to generations of Americans for his paintings of dogs playing poker. In 1903 Coolidge was commissioned to produce 16 paintings for the advertising firm of Brown & Bigelow of St. Paul, Minnesota. The majority of these works depicted dogs performing many very human activities, chiefly playing poker.
The present works display a distinct pair. The sequential narrative follows the same 'players' in the course of a hand of poker. In the first, our main character, the St. Bernard holds a weak hand as the rest of the crew maintains their best poker faces. In the following scene, we see the St. Bernard raking in the large pot, much to the very obvious dismay of his fellow players. Apparently, Coolidge originally titled the two Judge St. Bernard Stand Pat on Nothing and Judge St. Bernard Wins on a Bluff. They were most likely re-titled A Bold Bluff and Waterloo for convenience by Brown & Bigelow, who then mass marketed the images.
Although his name is not commonly remembered today, Coolidge's images seem permanently seared into the American public conscience. They are among our most important and endearing images of American popular culture and stand beside the icons of other illustrators such as Rockwell, Flagg and Wyeth.
We are grateful to Garner Fredrickson and his forthcoming publication, Poker dogs: The Life and Work of C.M. Coolidge, and Joseph Richey's Web site, dogsplayingpoker.org, for their assistance in cataloguing this lot.
Additional Notes & Condition Report
A BOLD BLUFF - Dirty varnish frame rubbing with some scattered small losses along edges. Scattered craquelure. 1/2 x 3/4 inch tear L-shaped tear with paint flakes in the lower left corner area. Few scattered surface scuffs in the lower left. 4 inch surface scratch in the great Dame. Canvas buckled on stretcher. Scattered spots of inpainting - along the frame rubbing; in the center; center left; in the chair at far left; arm of chair at lower right; ear of St. Bernard. There is a dulling varnish that makes the detection of further/earlier restoration very difficult.
WATERLOO - Dirty varnish. Frame rubbing with some scattered small losses along edges. Scattered craquelure, heavy at times. Small paint flake in the Great Dane's head. 1cm puncture in the lower right, in table. Scattered spots of inpainting: in the drapes at upper left and center left; Boxer's nose; shoulder of the Mastiff; in the lamp; 1 1/4 inch line in the center below the lamp. There is a dulling varnish that makes the detection of further/earlier restoration very difficult.
Any condition statement is given as a courtesy to a client, is only an opinion and should not be treated as a statement of fact. Doyle New York shall have no responsibility for any error or omission. The absence of a condition statement does not imply that the lot is in perfect condition or completely free from wear and tear, imperfections or the effects of aging.
No condition report? Click here to request one.