Syndics of the Drapers' Guild

In the pictureBehind a table covered with a red carpet, five men in black clothing and white collars sit or stand, and behind them in the center stands one more man without a hat. All five wear broad-brimmed black hats, and the old man at far left sits in a chair upholstered in red cloth. The man in the center rests his hand on an open ledger, and the second man from the left has half risen as if about to stand. All of them have raised their eyes from the ledger to look out of the picture toward us. The back is brown wooden paneling, and the signature is on the wall at upper right.

BackgroundThe painting was commissioned in 1662 by the Amsterdam drapers' guild. These men were the officials who inspected the quality of dyed cloth by comparing it with samples, and the man without a hat is their servant. The painting hung in the guild's building and is known as the last group portrait Rembrandt painted. Because everyone looks up at the same moment, viewers feel as if they have just walked into a room where a meeting is underway. Technical examination has confirmed traces of Rembrandt repainting the figures' positions several times.

Puzzle tipThe red carpet at the bottom is the largest mass of color, so fit it first, following the flow of its pattern. Next come the white collars and faces of the six men; their light pieces line up at about the same height, which makes it easy to establish a horizontal row. The black hats and clothes look alike, so fill them in around the faces and collars once those are in place. The background divides into a light gray-brown wall above and dark wooden paneling below, and the line between them is a clue. The recommended size is about 100 pieces.