Comments on: Independent 7589/Phi

By: Allan_C

Allan_C — Sat, 12 Feb 2011 09:37:09 +0000

Hadn’t heard of Redon and plumped for Rodin. That left me only 26a, never having heard of Hiroshige, but a bit of googling tuned up this site: http://wwar.com/artists with an alphabetical index and I was able to trawl through it. Could be a useful resource in future.

By: Paul B

Paul B — Sat, 12 Feb 2011 01:30:34 +0000

I think it reasonable to expect solvers to have some accessible knowledge of painters, but it should be noted that crosswords enjoy a very deep acquaintance with cricket.

Some painters have had short legs.

By: Scarpia

Scarpia — Sat, 12 Feb 2011 00:01:47 +0000

Thanks John and Phi.
I loved this puzzle and am really quite surprised that so many of my fellow solvers found it difficult.
I thought all the featured artists,with the possible exception of Hiroshige,were fairly well known.
I also agree with sidey’s comment above.
For the second time today I have been caught out by the use of a feminine example(1 across).I’m just pleased the nobleman in question wasn’t a count!
For anyone wanting to view great art from the comfort of their armchair I would recommend Google’s new art project http://www.googleartproject.com/
Whilst,obviously not rivalling the experience of seeing the great works ‘in the flesh’ as it were,it is a great way to view some wonderful paintings in close detail.

By: ele

ele — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 23:19:38 +0000

I loved this puzzle too – thank you Phi, and John for the blog. The only one that defeated me was mendings (but it was getting late). Let’s hear it for the artists – I agree with sidey.

By: sidey

sidey — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 22:36:00 +0000

How sad that artists seem to be regarded as arcane knowledge while less than intimate acquaintance with the obscurities of sport is ridiculed. What a shame.

By: nmsindy

nmsindy — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 20:15:42 +0000

I enjoyed this and worked most of it out. Not an expert on painters tho had heard of quite a few of them (mainly thro crosswords).

When I finally got stuck, went to reference lists which gave the rest pretty quickly, confirmed by the wordplay.

By: Michael

Michael — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 19:58:26 +0000

I’m in agreement with Lenny, I found this a thoroughly enjoyable puzzle, so many thanks to Phi, and my art history teachers.

By: Lenny

Lenny — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 19:49:13 +0000

Thanks Phi. I understand your antipathy towards Rodin, at least towards his paintings. I bought a couple of his prints from the Museé Rodin but I had to choose carefully. Most of his watercolours are a bit too gynaecological for my taste. In fact, one of my prints called “Hommage à ma Grand mère “ depicts two ladies intertwined. Not relatives of yours I hope.

By: rodders

rodders — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 19:29:15 +0000

Thanks for that Phi – you are normally my favourite setter as I seem to be able to get inside your head and complete in less than 30 minutes !
Today you completely thrashed me and good luck to you – now if 1across had been sportsmen then I would be cock a hoop – artists…………oh dear !
Keep up the good work anyway !!

By: Phi

Phi — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 19:09:52 +0000

Well, you win some you lose some. As I sit here glancing up from my Hiroshige desk diary to a shelf full of Klee catalogues, I find myself concerned at what you’re missing. Against that, I’d have to say I’m not sure I’d recognise a Millet if I tripped over one. But his name is known, as is that of Landseer (who is probably the least significant of the painters here), so no-one complains. But I shall have to hide these comments from the other half, who is the visual arts expert in our household.

What is a little odd is the case of Odilon Redon, who seems to have inspired a reasonable glut of obscurity. And it’s odd because when he passed through an Independent puzzle of mine a few weeks/months ago, he raised scarcely a murmur. (Though I suspect it’s time for me to rebel against the automatic response of ‘I must have done Rodin/radon last time’ when faced with R_D_N.) But he was a hidden clue at that time, and I suspect that that probably allowed people to write him in confidently with a general mental feeling of ‘Yes, yes, heard of him – have I? Yes, of course I have’.

I should also report that I may have a subconscious antipathy towards Rodin as he took as mistress (and subsequently abandoned) my great-uncle’s godfather’s sister Gwen.