Straus Special Cut puzzle for F.A.O. Schwartz, NYC department store. Better cut and materials than most Straus puzzles, with 24 figure pieces. Artist is Frank Vining Smith, one of America’s greatest marine artists. Influenced by the New England shore of his youth, Smith is known for his versatility, color palette and realism—capturing every line of rigging, sail plan and line of a ship’s hull with unerring accuracy that captivated brash sailors and the general public alike. Perhaps best known for his majestic clipper ships along the New England shore, Smith was a prolific artist and illustrator whose subject matter went beyond his portrayal of the nautical world to include works depicting the great outdoors in a career that spanned both World War I and World War II and beyond. Press release for Publication of Book – Frank Vining Smith: Maritime Painting in the 20th Century.