Created by Dan Robbins in the 1950s, Paint by Numbers kits were a cultural phenomenon that was embraced by millions of aspiring artists. A cross between a colouring book and a painting, these kits enabled even a novice painter to become a fine artist. The concept was inspired by Leonardo Da Vinci, who used numbered patterns on canvas to teach his apprentices how to paint. Through these kits, Robbins made painting accessible to all, ‘Every man a Rembrandt’ as the packaging said. The finished paintings from the '50s and '60s are now sought after collectors items. We have photographed our five favourites from that era and turned them into these incredible jigsaw puzzles.

This 1000 piece, 20" x 27" (50.8 x 68.6cm) rectangular puzzle is a tropical landscape with palm trees along a rocky beach. The original kit titled ‘Sunset Lagoon’ contained 24 oil colours which made it among the more simplified of the kits. Some of the paints were applied thinly which adds a soft texture not typically seen in Paint by Numbers.

The difficulty level of this puzzle is hard. The large number of colours and small details of the painting make this puzzle a satisfying challenge.

To learn about the history of Paint by Numbers, you can read our article here.

pieces : 1000
size : 20" x 27" (50.8 x 68.6 cm) rectangular
difficulty : 4 / 5