
Cassius Coolidge's paintings of dogs playing poker - microwavecamera
https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-painting-dogs-playing-poker-endured-100-years
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evincarofautumn
> Many art historians credit him with inventing “comic foregrounds,” those
> plywood pictures with a cut-out hole for a head, allowing passersby to
> pretend they’re bodybuilders or mermaids.

Comedian James Acaster did a bit about “pictures that you put your head in”,
joking that everyone knows of them, yet there’s no name for them because (or
therefore?) they’re never talked about. But apparently there is after all,
even coined by the person who invented them. And _of course_ such a kitschy
thing was invented by the guy who painted “dogs playing poker”.

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cobbzilla
Lots of things are kitsch, and these paintings could be considered the epitome
of kitsch, but there's other dimensions of analysis - whimsy, memorability
among them, where these works have massive success.

I'm waiting for someone to mention Thomas Kinkade, there's definitely some
spiritual connection that I'm unable to articulate but maybe others can.

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snake_plissken
The best thing about these paintings is the observation of dogs' personalities
and how they can match up so well to human personalities. You could substitute
cats, but because dogs are usually more gregarious and eager it just makes
more sense. Anthropomorphism at its finest.

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5555624
Now, we're "Business Casual"; but, many, many years ago, we started having
"Causal Fridays." I opted for a necktie showing "A Friend in Need," the
painting at the top of the article.

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RickJWagner
I've always liked those paintings!

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brandonmenc
To think of that, when it goes against all the laws of nature.

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failrate
My grandma had one of these in the den near the pool table.

