Precursors

A survey of what can be described as 'precursors' to the genre, in that although a cluster puzzle premise is followed, there are various concerns and quibbles as according to a strict definition of the criteria as I have given on the introductory page. For the sake of general order, I give a chronological presentation.

1848-1849, Yoshifuji Utagawa, ‘The Supernatural Cat of the Tokaido’, drawing

Yoshifuji Utagawa (1828–1887), a Japanese artist, between 1848-1849 created a series of ‘puzzle pictures’, somewhat reminiscent in style of the Italian artist Giuseppe Arcimboldo, who was best known for creating imaginative portrait heads made entirely of objects such as fruits, vegetables, flowers, fish, and books. However, this is indeed a likely an independent idea conceived by Utagawa who was likely unfamiliar with his work, as Arcimboldo only came into prominence in the 20th Century. In Utagawa’s instance, a conglomeration of cats in various poses made up various human heads. However, strictly, these are not of a cluster puzzle, or at least of the higher classifications, as there are indeed overlaps. However, one of these in particular ‘Gojusantsugi no uchi neko no ayashi’ (The Supernatural Cat of the Tokaido) is perhaps of more relation to the genre than others, albeit it is still far from an ideal nature. Nonetheless, there is a broad element of a double contour line. Of the print, note that the eyes are bells and the mouth is a thick red ribbon of the type Japanese cats wore. Note that the choice of cats as motifs is no accident. In short, they are revered in Japanese history, and so thus a natural subject for Japanese artists per se, and so Utagawa thus simply follows in this tradition.

Can anyone add to what is given above? In particular, I would like to know more about the background to these ‘puzzle pictures’. An open question is whether Utagawa was indeed unaware of Arcimboldo’s work. This is my own supposition. As ever, no detail is too small to mention. Further, with all the difficulties involved in researching in a foreign language, some of the above is perhaps more subject to revision than other more certain researches; I stand to be corrected.

1901, John Sloan, 'The Blackbird Puzzle' 

Newspaper pages courtesy of John Sloan Manuscript Collection, Helen Farr Sloan Library and Archives 

John French Sloan (1871-1951) was a well-known painter of the twentieth-century Ashcan school of American art. Aside from this, he seems to have had a puzzle bent, as between February 18, 1900, and January 11, 1903, he produced for the Philadelphia Press more than 125 full-page puzzles, with a $10 prize, incorporating hidden words or images, pictorial puns and components that required cutting. Of the various puzzles, one of these can be termed as a forerunner to cluster puzzles, with ‘The Blackbird Puzzle’, of April 14, 1901. The premise here was of packing birds in a pie based on the well-known nursery rhyme. However, the premise here of a double contour line throughout is noticeably weakened to greater or lesser degrees. However, the graphic still remains cluster puzzle in intent, if not ideally so. 

Newspapers, 1909

Intriguingly, there are two early accounts in newspapers that by their description alone seem to indicate a cluster puzzle, albeit infuriatingly they are not pictured and are without a credited designer. First, the Aberdeen Press and Journal on December 2 1909, in which the Duchess of Manchester has possession of a 2600-piece puzzle and ***
1. The Duchess of Manchester has bought the biggest jigsaw puzzle in the world. It consists of 2,600 pieces, each piece being shaped like an animal and will take about a month to work out.
2.  The newest and most elaborate “jig-saw” puzzle has reached London from America. So far only one specimen is here; it is in the possession of Messrs. Hamley Brothers, of 202, Regent-street. It has come all ready “mixed up”, and Messrs. Hamley, not having any employee to spare for a couple of days, have not yet put it together. There are 160 pieces, almost every one representing an animal. There are dogs, swans, pigs, squirrels, monkeys, swordfish, wolves, rabbits, ostriches, anteaters dolphins, and other creatures. When complete the picture is about one foot square….
    However, as alluded to above, these are not illustrated, and searches for them have proved futile. As ever, does any reader know of these puzzles or care to speculate? No detail is too small to mention. Even more so on this occasion, with notable historical interest, their finding, positive or not, would be a great advance.

Created 25 June 2024. Last Updated 25 June 2024