Most of us have never experienced a lockdown, and amid trying to adjust to our new reality, we are trying our best to stay positive. There’s no better way than to fish out those old board games, or better still, try cracking the latest trending jigsaw puzzle.
Together Apart Games decided to give a fun twist to one of Van Gogh’s masterpieces, and the result has been, to say the least, completely insane. An insane number of pieces make up the art-themed jigsaw puzzle, and people have been spending hours trying to put the pieces together. If you are up for the challenge, this jigsaw puzzle is what you need to chase those lockdown blues away.
The Starry Night
In June 1889, Vincent van Gogh added another masterpiece to his collection when he painted The Starry Night. The painting captures the view that Van Gogh enjoyed just before sunrise at Saint-Remy-de Provence. Van Gogh also included an idyllic, distant village to complete the painting.
The New York-based Museum of Modern Art currently houses the masterpiece, and it’s been part of their permanent collection since 1941. More than a century later, the painting is considered one of Van Gogh’s finest. Also, as the years roll by, The Starry Night remains a widely recognized and celebrated work of art in Western culture.
Locked Up In An Asylum
The painting is even more inspiring when looking back at the rather sad events that led to its creation. Van Gogh had admitted himself to the lunatic asylum following the incident that saw him mutilate his left ear.
When Van Gogh checked into the Saint-Paul-de-Mausole lunatic asylum, he was fortunate to have a second story bedroom as well as a ground-floor room to use as his studio. Van Gogh would go on to churn out a series of prolific paintings during his one-year stay at the asylum.
Amalgamating Various Elements
Van Gogh brilliantly uniquely captured the view by depicting it under different weather conditions like sunshine-filled, windy, and overcast days. The painting also captures different times of the day, capturing the sunrise and moonrise.
Van Gogh wasn’t allowed to paint from his bedroom at the asylum, and instead, he created ink and charcoal sketches. He would later base his newer creations on those past versions, and Van Gogh maintained several pictorial elements from his previous works.
A Jigsaw Puzzle Is Born
Together Apart Games decided to transform the painting into a puzzle with the idea of making it both fun and immersive. They want us to pretend that we are taking a walk down memory lane and offering a hand in painting Van Gogh’s masterpiece.
With an imaginative mind, it isn’t difficult to feel like you are painting The Starry Night with every puzzle piece put together. The only catch is that it comes with 1000 pieces, and it isn’t exactly something you’ll assemble in a day.
Why Puzzles?
We live in a digital age, and most people would argue that now is the time to make use of technology to keep ourselves actively engaged. Puzzles are often overlooked, but they play an essential role in helping us exercise our brainpower.
These games rely on skills like spatial reasoning and memory, which in turn gives us a great mental workout. Best yet is the fact that the activity is fun, calming, and an awesome time-killer.
A Quality Boredom Killer
The folks at Together Apart Games haven’t overlooked any aspect of making this puzzle in every sense, a masterpiece. The puzzle is crafted out of recycled cardboard with the images printed in crisp and vibrant sharpness.
The jigsaw makers also guarantee that the pieces will keep snapping into place tightly regardless of the number of times they are taken apart and re-assembled. They even toss in a Jigsaw Puzzle Storage Mat so that you can store the pieces safely and conveniently.
A Chaotic Problem To Solve
Most people say that The Starry Night is truly a masterpiece because Van Gogh poured some of his madness into the painting. The jigsaw puzzle transfers the madness to everyone trying to connect the pieces.
Besides the ridiculously large number of pieces the puzzle comes with, they are also tiny pieces. It also doesn’t help that most of the parts are painted a variety of blue tones. Except for a couple of swirls that can provide a breakthrough, the puzzle proves to be a chaotic problem to solve.
How To Solve The Puzzle
Just like any other puzzle, solving The Starry Night conundrum requires a plan. Most people know that the trick with jigsaw puzzles is to start by fitting the corner pieces in place.
It’s easier said than done when you are working with 1,000 tiny pieces that are all colored in almost the hue. Also, like when putting together any other jigsaw puzzle, patience is key. This isn’t your average puzzle, so give it a couple of hours or days to get it done.
Relishing In Success
Several everyday activities that you engage in daily contribute to your list of achievements, and solving the Van Gogh puzzle is part of the list. The completed puzzle is large and measures approximately 29.5 by 19.7 inches.
People who have completed the almost impossible puzzle describe the experience as hair-raising madness that is also satisfactory. The end product is your work of art that you should display somewhere around your house.
It’s Transformed Into A Movement
A countless number of people tried their hand at tackling this puzzle, and they have been sharing their experiences online. The social media posts have sparked interest from more people, and soon enough, solving The Starry Night puzzle transformed into a movement.
Some folks have shared photos capturing the turmoil they’ve endured while trying to crack the puzzle on Twitter. Everyone who has the puzzle agrees on the fact that you’ll have to put in a trillion hours to solve it.
A Turmoil Not Worth Repeating
Dr. Rhiannon Phillips shared her success on Twitter and vowed that it would be the last time she ever attempted to work on a Van Gogh jigsaw. Philips also gave an insight into how people can revamp the completed puzzle.
She shared a photo of her cat sitting on the completed puzzle and added that it doubled as the perfect sit for her feline. You’d think that such accounts would scare people off, but they’ve only driven up the jigsaw puzzle sales.
There Are Plenty In Stock
A Twitter user by going by the name Gwilty@padfield described the game designers as a bunch of sadists. They added that in the process of piecing the puzzle together, they were tempted to chop off bits just to make them fit.
Gwilty finished off by describing it as fantastic artwork. The game manufacturers have assured everyone that they have a decent stock of the puzzles available. Anyone willing to go through a torturously fun experience should get their hands on The Starry Night puzzle.
The Perfect Gift
The Van Gogh puzzle is also a great gift option to send to anyone across the globe. Together Apart Games are not only selling it at a reasonable price of an estimated $30, but they are also providing free shipping.
The puzzle makers explained that offering free shipping services during this pandemic is their way of giving back to their fellow puzzlers. The game makers also sell a collection of other jigsaw puzzles, board games, and 3D model sets.