How to play Jigsaw Puzzles

A painting cut into real puzzle pieces, with knobs and holes, spread out on the table. Fit them all back together and the picture is whole again. Every puzzle is a famous painting from the open collection of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, from Winslow Homer's sailboats to Monet's river banks.

Putting pieces in place

Drag a piece with your finger or the mouse and drop it where it belongs on the board.
You do not have to be exact. Drop it close to its spot and it clicks into place and stays there.
A piece dropped somewhere else simply waits on the table until you need it.
The faint picture on the board shows where everything goes. You can turn it off in Settings for a real challenge.
Tap Picture to look at the whole painting, like the lid of a puzzle box.

Three sizes

24 pieces (6 × 4): big pieces, just right for a phone or a coffee break.
54 pieces (9 × 6): a good evening puzzle on a tablet or computer.
96 pieces (12 × 8): for a big screen and a long, quiet sit.

Stuck? Hint puts one piece in place for you, corners first, then edges. Each hint adds 30 seconds to your time.

Tips from puzzlers

Frame first. Corners have two straight sides, edges one. Build the border and the rest has somewhere to go.
Sort by color. Sky with sky, water with water, the red boat together.
Look at the shape. A hole with two knobs around it needs a piece with two holes.
Grow one patch at a time. Finish the sky, then the sea, then the sails.

Today's puzzle

Every day there is one Daily Puzzle: the same painting in 24 pieces for every player. Finish it as fast as you can and see how your time compares with everyone else who played today. There are 51 paintings in the collection.

Questions

Where do the paintings come from? From the open access collection of the National Gallery of Art, Washington. These works are in the public domain and free for everyone to enjoy.

Does the clock run when I leave? No. It only counts while the puzzle is on your screen.

Do I need an account? No. Your puzzles, streak and settings stay in this browser. A free account keeps them on every device.