Queen Mary

This superb 400 piece plywood jigsaw puzzle, thought to date from c1938-1940, was cut by the French manufacturer Vera Picture Puzzle and carries a box-end label for the popular Paris bookstore Brentano's, quoting a price of 100Fcs. The cutting style is predominantly interlocking with no colour line-cutting.
This puzzle is thought to predate the more familiar range titles of Rex, Royal, Apollo and Art Moderne and features eight intricately cut Whimsies, or figural shaped pieces. These carry clever little cuts into the outline to emphasize wings, fins and heads, also appearing in areas of the puzzle sympathetic with their design, such as the pair of dolphin shapes beneath the bows and the four birds in the sky, including one carefully perched on a pole at the front of the ship. It is also interesting to see the faint traces of pencil lines close to the figure shapes, perhaps an indication that the outlines were drawn lightly on the surface to facilitate the cutter.
Course de chevaux is another similarly presented puzzle from this manufacturer. In keeping with the overall quality of workmanship, this puzzle is finished on the reverse with black velvet. The painting is by the artist William McDowell, and is understood to date from c1938.

Artist: McDowell, William
Date: c1930's
Brand: Vera
Material: Plywood
Nationality: France
Pieces: 400
Size: 18" x 9 1/2"
Theme: Maritime
Title: Queen Mary