Rembrandt, The Nightwatch (Part 1)

Rembrandt, The Nightwatch

Ravensburger, 1977

5040 pieces

40" x 60"

purchased sealed (complete) from ebay ($70)

Difficulty level: near impossible, probably the most difficult puzzle ever made?

So this the first 5000-piece puzzle, and it's one of my favorite paintings, making acquiring this one a no-brainer. It's a pretty common puzzle, so it wasn't so much finding a copy, but finding one at a price I was willing to pay.

After assembling (or trying to assemble) the frame and the brightest sections, this thing turns into a nightmare.

At this point I'm down to maybe a hundred pieces that aren't a shade of brown, and it looks like I've hardly completed anything. It appears that each quadrant of the puzzle is the same cut, which is helpful, and which I've used to slot a few pieces along the bottom. I still don't have the frame completed.

The problem now is I am having a tough time telling the shades of brown apart, as it's winter and it's well past dark by the time I have a few minutes to work on this. I think I am going to pack this one up for a while and wait for summer or maybe a better lighting solution. Definitely not giving up!