One of the world’s most popular activities, gambling has been an inspiration for various works of art. From heavily inspiring various movies and songs, gambling themes are also some of the favorite ones when it comes to painted or even tattooed art pieces.
With such a strong fan base and so many people interested in such motifs, it’s really not surprising that casino and gambling have been a source of inspiration for various art pieces. So, with that in mind, here are some of the most popular casino and gambling themed artwork.
Dogs Playing Poker – Cassius Marcellus Coolidge
Dogs Playing Poker is one of the best-known and most commonly referenced artwork pieces that feature gambling. Painted in 1894, this work of art – believe it or not – has 8 different variations. It0s also one of the most commonly reproduced works of art. Here, we can see a group of 7 dogs playing poker. All of them look quite serious and heavily focused, while the two smallest dogs are passing cards to each other below the table. Although extremely popular, this work of art is considered quite kitsch by many art critics. Like it or not, this series of paintings was extremely popular and sought-after ever since it came out.
The Cardsharps – Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio
The Cardsharps painted by Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio is one of the best and most famous art pieces that depicts the gambling world of that period. Painted in 1594, this work of art depicts two people playing card games, with a third person seemingly sneaking a peak into one of the players’ cards. Since the other player is shown stashing two cards behind their back, it’s easy to assume that that player is cheating. Some even interpret the role of the third person as trying to tell the cheater which cards their opponent is holding, in the effort to help them win. Aside from being masterfully painted, this work is considered to be Caravaggio’s first independent painting.
At the Roulette Table – Edvard Munch
Whenever people hear of Edvard Munch, the majority of them instantly thinks of Scream. And wile Scream is certainly his most popular art piece, this amazing painter also has many other artworks to boast with. At the Roulette Table is a painting created by Edvard Munch in 1892. The painting shows a group of people gathered by the roulette table actively participating and watching the game. Supposedly, during his stay in France, Munch was a regular visitor of the Monte Carlo casino. Many believe that spending time in the casino inspired him to create this stunning piece of art.
The Card Players – Paul Cézanne
The Card Players is actually a series of paintings created by Paul Cézanne between 1894 and 1895. All the paintings from this series feature two or more people – usually at some type of a bar – enjoying some card games. The series consists of five paintings with similar motifs that slightly differ in size, number of players and color scheme. And while many people are well familiar with this series of paintings, not many know that Cézanne made numerous sketches and painted portraits before he actually created this series.
Slot Machine Queen – Shelly Wilkerson
This 2011 work of art perfectly depicts the rush of joy and happiness most players feel when scoring a jackpot on a slot machine. As the name itself suggests, the lady featured in the painting looks like she’s living her best life. Many people stated that this work of art is quite similar in vibe to Dogs Playing Cards. Although critics had a lot to say – some even naming this painting as the perfect representation of bad art, we have to strongly disagree. The lady featured in this colorful work of art is well-dressed, rocking gold jewelry and a bright red lip, while holding a champagne glass in one hand and a cat in her lap. Although arguably not the highest-quality art piece, Slot Machine Queen really has the power to bring out the good vibes and perfectly captures the rush of winning.
Gambling-inspired web designs
Aside from painted works of art, casino and gambling themed designs can commonly be seen featured on various websites. Needless to say, even though quite inspiring and engaging, such designs will only make sense featured on niche websites. However, if you manage to execute this stage right and come up with your own version of these popular motifs, you will end up with a website design that not only fitch right into your niche but is also quite aesthetically appealing.
Gambling-inspired tattoos
Finally, casino and gambling-inspired motifs are also commonly featured in the world of tattoos. Many people find these designs quite appealing, with the ace of spades being probably one of the most frequently featured motifs. Tattoos with similar motifs are quite frequently requested even by the people who really don’t gamble all that much – or even at all. This is most likely due to the fact that symbols such as playing cards, dice and card symbols can be interpreted in many different ways.
These were just some of the most popular casino and gambling themed artworks. Although not everyone’s cup of tea, these pieces are undeniably very well known and well executed.
