It is difficult to be original when it comes to jigsaw puzzles. Some companies have innovated with unusual die cuts, while others have produced silhouette puzzles or even 3D puzzles. Dividing an image in three contiguous sections is another way to be original. The company Spiel Spass produced some puzzles in this format, as part of their Triptychon series. The title of this one is Lawn with Poppies, although the only title in the box was in German: Mohnwiese. There is no reference to the artist.
The result is interesting, with a panorama effect. I am sure that the framed puzzles would look nice hanging on a wall. However, the selection of the images are questionable, at least in the puzzles that I have seen belonging to the same Triptychon series. They look like the stock images that we can find at hotel rooms or at the dentist's office. In any case, de gustibus non est disputandum, and fortunately we all have different taste and preferences.
Why did I complete Lawn with Poppies?
Whenever I buy a used puzzle, the seller can guarantee...
500
500, Nathan, The Gypsy Girl, by Frans Hals
31
Jul
The Gypsy Girl is a beautiful small puzzle that the company Fernand Nathan published in 1973. The name of Fernand Nathan still appeared in the boxes of Nathan puzzles manufactured in the 70's. It was a publishing company that Fernand Nathan started in 1881 and continued to be a family business until 1979. After that, the name Nathan remained, but the company passed to other hands.
We tend to repeat too often that past times were better. However, this is quite true with regards to the choices that jigsaw puzzle companies are making these days when they select their images for their catalogs. For that reason, it is so refreshing to find these old little gems. It seems that Nathan had much better taste 40 years ago than today.
A refreshing Gypsy Girl
Frans Hals was a master of portrait. For that reason, it is no surprise that this portrait is a masterpiece. Hals was a master of the technique of painting with a visible brushstroke (something previously seen as a flaw). Vincent van Gogh admired his technique, and in the 19th century, many artists would follow it, particularly among the Impressionists. So, we can say that Hals introduced in the 17th century a...