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Ha ha, very kind Loge but no proze for me this week as, despite (I think!) getting all the thematic stuff, 9d is still holding out - I can see wordplay but don't understand definition (... or an alternative solution but requiring e.g. "As" or "Like" at start of clue, and then can't parse last two letters) I'm sure I'm mossing something obvious!

OK scrap that got it - d'oh! All done now :-) .... I think!

All very debatable.
As cb says, the letters in order in one name (indeed in both names) do match the depiction but the work doesn't fit the thematic description. The one that does was inspired by one that when 50%, i.e. 'half', is added, yields its title......so, think I'll stick with that (for now!)

I'm doing the same for now - and that's how I saw the title working - but the missing award is a bigger problem, I think.

Way behind you guys as yet again I failed to read the preamble correctly and, as a result, have spent the last hour trying to find words that have been elongated by 50% instead of the other way round! Only realised my mistake when looking for a word in 25d that could be abbreviated to M.

Still, got it now so hopefully it won't be too long before I'm struggling with the endgame instead:-)

My attempts to complete this were hindered by entering the wrong singer at 1 down (which probably says something about my age and musical taste), and by trying to copy a Matisse collage. And the royal red herring was so seductive that, had it met the thematic description I would not have looked further. Finally I read the line backwards, manipulated the grid, and deducted 5.5% to get the inspiration.

Spent most of yesterday tackling this. Have to admit it is probably one of the more frustrating IQs I've done, clever as it undoubtedly is. It's all a bit... laboured. And the endgame uncharacteristically unconvincing. Wasn't aware of either works - and the 'smaller' of the two sounds a particularly horrific prospect :-)

Not finished this yet…full grid I think! Twelve clashes, but some way to go on theme.
10a is a mystery, I have geometric measurements with a clash at last letter?
11d, what is going on with platriest?
30d, granny…?

Lumen, you're right about 10 - the wordplay is a similar word with the final X "reduced tenfold" (i.e. X to I)

11 Paltriest has three extra letters which when removed give a word that accounts for the final P

30 Granny has two extra letters leaving a word for which there is a two-letter abbreviation; (unit of radiation); remove this from CAGY and add an anagram of ONE

Thanks loge, ten minutes after your reply I cracked the theme and character. I am actually very familiar with the work. I didn't see that coming!
Still don't see the description message though. Can't see paltriest still and can't see 31a which I assume is last part of the message?