Charley Harper: The Desert 1000-Piece Jigsaw Puzzle

Charley Harper (American, 1922–2007) The Desert Charley Harper’s The Desert was originally featured on a poster commissioned by the US National Park Service. The painting includes an abundance and variety of flora and fauna, from the gila woodpecker (center) to the white-throated woodrat hiding beneath it. Nocturnal creatures blend into the darkness, but their eyes glow, ever alert! Harper made paintings filled with color, motion, and fun—as exemplified by this 1,000-piece puzzle.

Charley Harper

Midcentury modernist Charley Harper (American, 1922–2007) portrayed the natural world with heart and humor. In vivid colors and simple shapes, his cardinals, ladybugs, and clever critters have become icons of wildlife art. His illustrations were published in magazines and books, notably Ford Times and The Giant Golden Book of Biology. A longtime conservationist, Harper created posters for more than 50 nature- and conservation-oriented organizations. His US National Park Service posters—massive, requiring a year each to paint—showcase delightful depictions of entire ecosystems in a style he defined as “minimal realism.” In his adopted hometown of Cincinnati, his public works are the legacy of an artist truly beguiled by the wild, one whose art was a quiet catalyst for ecological action.