Constructor: Joe Rodini

Relative problem: Easy

THEME: SANS / SANS (1A: French for “with out” / 70A: After 1-Across, what the primary names at 20-, 36-, 43- and 57-Across all are?) — so … I suppose the thought is that the primary names of the theme solutions can all observe “San” (to kind a metropolis title) … so by some means these first names are “missing” (“with out,” SANS) the “San” a part of their title … solely they are not … these are simply their names … I do not perceive the logic right here in any respect:

Theme solutions:

• FRANCISCO GOYA (20A: Spanish painter of “The Third of May 1808”)
• DIEGO RIVERA (36A: Mexican muralist twice married to Frida Kahlo)
• PEDRO PASCAL (43A: Chilean American actor of “The Mandalorian” and “Narcos”)
• JOSE FELICIANO (57A: Puerto rican singer with greater than 50 albums, together with “Feliz Navidad”)

Word of the Day: “The Third of May 1808” (20A) —

The Third of May 1808 (also referred to as El tres de mayo de 1808 en Madridor Los fusilamientos de la montaña del Príncipe Pío, or Los fusilamientos del tres de mayo) is a portray accomplished in 1814 by the Spanish painter Francisco Goya, now within the Museo del Prado, Madrid. In the work, Goya sought to commemorate Spanish resistance to Napoleon‘s armies in the course of the occupation of 1808 within the Peninsular War. Along with its companion piece of the identical dimension, The Second of May 1808 (or The Charge of the Mamelukes), it was commissioned by the provisional authorities of Spain at Goya’s suggestion.

The portray’s content material, presentation, and emotional drive safe its standing as a ground-breaking, archetypal picture of the horrors of warfare. Although it attracts on many sources from each excessive and standard artwork, The Third of May 1808marks a transparent break from conference. Diverging from the traditions of Christian artwork and conventional depictions of warfare, it has no distinct precedent, and is acknowledged as one of many first work of the fashionable period. According to the artwork historian Kenneth Clark, The Third of May 1808 is “the primary nice image which will be known as revolutionary in each sense of the phrase, in fashion, in topic, and in intention”. (wikipedia)

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This was grim, on many ranges. I anticipate many individuals will not care—they will be too distracted by the velocity data they’re setting—however the theme makes little or no sense, and the fill is about as poor as I’ve seen in a Monday in an extended, very long time. I saved stopping and questioning if *this* was the very best place to display how unhealthy the fill was, after which I’d remedy just a few extra solutions and hit some new low level. It wasn’t a lot one unhealthy reply as an absolute slew of repeaters. Just an avalanche. It was just like the grid hadn’t been polished a lot in any respect. The entire NW nook simply shrieked “yesteryear,” fill-wise. The theme will not be demanding, so there is no such thing as a purpose that the solver ought to should endure So Much SERFS AMORE SETTO NIPAT STENTS COED LEDS ODEON ELEC and on and on and on. AGASP PALAU LAIC and on and On and on and on and on. Just abusive. Outside the themers, there are zero fascinating solutions within the grid. In reality, there are solely two (2!) solutions of 8 letters and nothing (significantly, nothing) else over 6. And solely two of these!! The relaxation is simply brief stuff and it is simply … tough. As for the theme, how are these names “SANS” “SANS“? They are usually not “with out” the “SANS.” They don’t “lack” “SANS.” “San” can precede every of these names in a well-known (or, within the case of San Pedro, not-so-famous) metropolis title. But there is not any query of being “with out.” There is nothing in the best way the theme is executed that justifies the French “SANS” bit. I get that you really want the cutesy SANS / SANS joke, however … you gotta at the very least make the primary “SANS” make sense. 

Almost laughable that PEDRO is right here among the many far, far, much more well-known San cities. PEDRO can also be by far, far, far the least well-known of the SAN-less individuals—Goya and Rivera are legendary, and Feliciano has at the very least been well-known for many years, whereas that is the primary I’m listening to of this “Mandalorian” actor man. So that reply is a double-outlier. I simply do not get this in any respect. At all. Overall, it was very straightforward, regardless of my not figuring out (or not remembering) that FRANCISCO was GOYA’s first title, and never figuring out PEDRO PASCAL’s title in any respect, and never figuring out (for the second time in per week) a “Parasite” actor’s title (right this moment, CHOI Woo-shik). It was possibly taking part in somewhat gradual for me, however for the final third of the puzzle I switched to Downs-only and rattled off like twelve in a row, with out hesitation, to shut it out. If this wordplay labored for you, I’m very blissful for you. The theme missed me utterly, and the fill was virtually unendurably boring / overly acquainted.