Gambling in Art: The Famous Paintings Representing Gambling

Dogs Playing Poker is the most famous example of gambling in art 

Perhaps the most famous painting on gambling is Cassius Marcellus Coolidge’s 1903 painting Dogs Playing Poker. In fact, ‘Dogs Playing Poker’ is not a name for just one painting, but a series of sixteen paintings that Coolidge did for a cigar company. 

In the painting, different breeds of dogs smoke cigars and play poker around the table. This reflects one of the favorite pastime activities of men in the first years of the 20th century. By the way, you can find many online poker games on online gambling sites in the USA.

Despite its commercial success, and art critics don’t think of it as a piece of high art, but more of as kitsch. 

The Cardsharps – Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio 

Speaking of high art, more specifically, gambling in art, we can’t skip Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio’s The Cardsharps. This 16th-century painting demonstrates two boys that play cards. One of them is a well-dressed, high class, innocent looking boy. Another one is “the cardsharp” who has a ‘“secret” card behind his back. There is also an older man peering over one of the boy’s shoulders. This classic painting shows us a lot about the gambling of that era in Italy. Also, it is an incredible painting, because Caravaggio could show the tension of a heated game so well. 

The owner of the painting changed many times over the years. It even disappeared in the 19th century. It was found later in a private art collection in Europe in 1987. Now the original version of the painting is in the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth, Texas.

Edvard Munch – At the Roulette Table

In fact, this is not the only painting of Munch with the casino motifs. Casinos inspired the modernist painter a lot. He painted a total of three pictures in this theme.