The Crucifixion; The Last Judgment

In the pictureThe left panel is the Crucifixion. A crowd gathers beneath three crosses, and in front Mary in blue has collapsed. Behind, Jerusalem and snowy mountains stretch into the distance. The right panel is the Last Judgment. At the top Christ and the saints sit in orderly rows, the archangel Michael stands in the middle, and below, the skeleton of Death spreads its wings with the torments of hell tangled beneath it. Each panel is only 56cm high.

BackgroundIt is a work of about 1440–41 by Jan van Eyck or his workshop. Van Eyck perfected the technique of layering thin coats of oil paint to achieve jewel-like color and detail, and on these small panels he fit hundreds of figures, a distant city, and even snow-covered mountains. They are thought to have originally been the two wings of a triptych whose central panel has been lost.

Puzzle tipIn the puzzle, the two panels sit side by side and make a wide picture. First establish the border between the panels (the vertical line in the middle), then work each side separately. Divide the left into the crosses and Mary's blue robe, and the right into the golden heaven at the top and the dark hell at the bottom. There is so much detail that even at 300 pieces every piece has its own clue. Zooming in is a must.