Question for 22nd November

Completed in the late 17th century, X is a work of art renowned for its colossal size , the effective use of light and shadow, and the perception of motion.
Although originally named differently, for much of its existence, X was coated with a dark varnish(only recently removed about 50 years ago) , leading to the name by which it has been commonly known.
In 1715, when it was moved to a different location, X was down-sized. This resulted in the loss of two characters on the left-hand side of X.
Identify X - bonus points for giving its complete original name !

Quiz Question for 10th Nov 2009

Link the following pictures :

Question for October 28th

Hi,
I thought the order for posting was supposed to be Anshul, Ishani and then me, Dev and so on..... but somewhere along the line looks like something got messed up. Anyhow, decided to squeeze in a post :)

The exact origin of X is disputed. Its growth may be traced across three different North American countries, and Russia. In 2002, Tamás Vicsek of the Eotvos Lorand University, Hungary along with his colleagues analyzed 14 videos of X , developing a standard model of the behavior of X (published in the September 12 issue of Nature) . He noted that, once started, it usually rolls in a clockwise direction at a rate of about 12 m/s (40 ft/s).
It gained worldwide prominence, and its official name, during the 1986 FIFA Football World Cup.
Identify X.

Pinakin

Daily Quiz Question - Oct 1st 2009

Apologies for the late post folks...

X belongs to the category of Y and is its most prominently known example.

Other examples of Y include - Cava in Spain, Asti in Italy or Sekt in Germany.

The sweetness of Y can range from 'brut' to'doux'.

In 1891, the 'Treaty of Madrid' legally granted X an Appellation d’origine contrôlée (AOC) which loosely translates as 'controlled term of origin'.

Name X.

-Pinakin

Reader Question

This term, which means a polymath, developed from the notion expressed by one of its most accomplished representatives, Leon Battista Alberti that “a man can do all things if he will".
Name the term.

Pinakin

Question for September 19th 2009

Since tennis is the flavour of the month, I have used it as the subject of my question today.
Winning all the 4 majors during a career, is termed in tennis as a Career Grand Slam, and, is a spin-off of the original phrase first coined by New York Times columnist John Kieran, used to describe the same feat achieved in a calendar year. Six men and nine women have achieved this in singles play. Although Jimmy 'Jimbo' Connors, considered to be one of the greatest tennis players of all time, never won the French Open, but is one of only five men (Mats Wilander, Jimmy Connors,Andre Agassi Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal are the others) to have won a Grand Slam singles title on grass courts, hard courts, and clay courts.
He also holds another distinction and is the only man ever to do so. What is it ?

Pinakin

Question for Aug 10, 2009 - Pinakin

Connect the following pictures:

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3)