User:Mandarax

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The name Mandarax comes from the Kurt Vonnegut novel Galápagos.

Articles created[edit]

Maurice Denis
Synchromism
LeRoy Neiman
Henri-Edmond Cross
Colin Campbell Cooper
Westmoreland Museum of American Art
John McLaughlin (artist)‎
Orovida Camille Pissarro
Frederick Hammersley
Chantal Joffe
Rinaldo Cuneo
Georg Muche
Claire Falkenstein
Charles Angrand
Barbara Longhi
Frederick Carl Frieseke
John Vanderpoel (with JNW)
Ellen Gallagher
Janet Fish
Paul Kelpe
Walter Baxter
Caroline Shawk Brooks
Maria van Oosterwijck
Albert Swinden
Allen Butler Talcott
Pindakaasvloer (with Drmies)
Maximilien Luce
Frank DuMond • (with WoodyinNYC)
Albert Dubois-Pillet
Glòria Muñoz

All articles were new creations except those marked "•", which I completely rewrote and expanded
Click on an icon for the corresponding DYK below


Milestones[edit]

  • I made my first edit as a registered user on February 14, 2005 (correcting the spelling of Jackson Pollock in the Robert Motherwell article).
  • A week later I created my first article, Maurice Denis.
  • In November 2009, I made my 50,000th edit (giving a Barnstar to a deserving user).
  • In December 2009, for the first and only time, I made over 10,000 edits in one month.
  • In May 2010, I submitted my first DYK, for John McLaughlin (artist); when it appeared two days later, the article was viewed 2.6k times, making it the most-viewed DYK of the group.
  • In June 2010, my place in the list of the all-time most active users entered the top 100.
  • In June 2010, I made my first DYK nomination for an article (Edward Weston) which I did not write.
  • In July 2010, I made my 100,000th edit (giving another long-overdue Barnstar to a deserving user).
  • In December 2010, I wrote my first BLP, rewriting and expanding Chantal Joffe. The DYK for this article was my most viewed so far. (This was also my first DYK which mentioned pornography. Coincidence?) At 4.7k views, it was just short of qualifying for inclusion on the DYK Stats page. I'm sure it would have done better if not for its unfortunate timeslot: it was about an English subject and appeared in England from midnight to six a.m.
  • Continuing the tradition, my 150,000th edit, in February 2011, was used to award another well-deserved Barnstar.
  • On April 1, 2011, the "Batman" DYK hook which I wrote set a new record as the most-viewed non-lead hook of all time. (I did not write the article, though.)
  • The April 15, 2011 Colin Campbell Cooper hook was my first to qualify for the DYK Stats page. It generated 12k views for the article, plus 13.5k for the image. This was also the first time I had two hooks appear in the same calendar month (Charles Angrand had been featured on April 7).
  • In June 2011, my position in the list of Wikipedians by number of edits hit number 25.
  • In November 2011 the DYK for Frederick Carl Frieseke received 17,500 hits (plus 10,600 for the image), despite the fact that the hook appeared on Thanksgiving, a low traffic day when Americans were spending time with their families rather than looking at Wikipedia. This hook which generated the most views for any of my articles was my first to feature a nude painting.
  • On April 1, 2012, I had my first April Fools' Day hook for an article I wrote. I composed a total of four of the April Fools' hooks, including two which I plucked out of the regular nominations when I recognized their AFD potential.
  • On April 1, 2013, Walter Baxter became my first article which I began to write solely so that it could appear as an April Fools' Day hook. It was also the first article I ever wrote which was not related to art.
  • On April 1, 2014, a hook which I had nominated on April 3, 2013 appeared as an April Fools' DYK. I believe I set a record for the longest any article has ever been held for a DYK.

DYK[edit]

Note that these appeared when DYK sets were on the Main Page for just six hours. Currently, hooks generally appear for a full day, or sometimes for twelve hours.

Hook Image Article / nom pg Date Views Img views
... that for the last two decades of his artistic career, American abstract painter John McLaughlin did not use curves in his paintings? John McLaughlin (artist) 13 May 2010 3025
... that artist Orovida Camille Pissarro preferred to be known simply as Orovida to distinguish herself from the many other artists in her family, including her renowned grandfather Camille Pissarro? Orovida Camille Pissarro 20 Jun 2010 1427
... that American abstract artist Frederick Hammersley devised three categories for his paintings (example pictured): "Hunches", "Geometrics", and "Organics"? Frederick Hammersley 31 Jul 2010 2592
... that English artist Chantal Joffe, who sometimes uses pornography for source material, created such large paintings that she required scaffolding to work on them? Chantal Joffe 21 Dec 2010 4833
... that a critic said that landscapes by Rinaldo Cuneo (self-portrait pictured) "are the very soul and essence of California materialized in line and color"? Rinaldo Cuneo 4 Jan 2011 4810 2026
... that works by German artist Georg Muche were confiscated by the Nazis and displayed in their 1937 Degenerate Art exhibition? Georg Muche 23 Feb 2011 2423
... that a critic described the work of abstract sculptor Claire Falkenstein as "a Jackson Pollock in three dimensions"? Claire Falkenstein 8 Mar 2011 3710
... that Paul Signac praised Charles Angrand's drawings as "masterpieces", calling them "poems of light"? Charles Angrand 7 Apr 2011 3610
... that American artist Colin Campbell Cooper helped rescue survivors of the Titanic, and during the rescue created several paintings (example pictured) which document the events? Colin Campbell Cooper 15 Apr 2011 12085 13534
... that Barbara Longhi's painting Saint Catherine of Alexandria (pictured) is believed to be a self-portrait, presented as a devotional image to avoid the appearance of indulging in the sin of vanity? Barbara Longhi 23 Jun 2011 5561 2891
... that American painter Frederick Carl Frieseke said he got "much pleasure in shocking the good Church people with the nudes" (example pictured)? Frederick Carl Frieseke 24 Nov 2011 17466 10566
... that Georgia O'Keeffe praised her art teacher John Vanderpoel, whose book The Human Figure is a standard reference for art students (example drawing pictured), as "one of the few real teachers I have known"? John Vanderpoel 14 Dec 2011 12069 10562
... that painter Henri-Edmond Cross (self-portrait pictured) changed his name twice, each time to avoid confusion with a similarly named artist? Henri-Edmond Cross 2 Mar 2012 3139 900
... that American artist Ellen Gallagher created artworks which included images carved into the surface of thick sheets of paper? Ellen Gallagher 8 Mar 2012 3501
... that a fish in a fishbowl is in a fish? Janet Fish 1 Apr 2012 9137
... that Paul Kelpe was criticized for painting murals which were too abstract, but an abstract arts group asked him to resign because his work (example pictured) wasn't abstract enough? Paul Kelpe 10 Nov 2012 3315 3036
... that a large sculpture (smaller version pictured) by Caroline Shawk Brooks was listed by customs officials not as a work of art, but as "110 lbs. of butter"? Caroline Shawk Brooks 9 Mar 2013 4479 2026
... that Walter Baxter wrote about the gay Batman–Kent relationship? Walter Baxter 1 Apr 2013 7378
... that Maria van Oosterwijck included a specific species of butterfly in most of her major paintings? Maria van Oosterwijck 4 May 2013 1042
... that an Albert Swinden mural (pictured), one of very few of his early paintings not destroyed in a studio fire, was painted over and thought lost, before being rediscovered and restored? Albert Swinden 6 Jun 2013 3325 3297
... that a fellow artist said of Allen Butler Talcott that "no one was his peer in the knowledge of trees and how to paint them" (painting of oak pictured)? Allen Butler Talcott 28 Jul 2013 2695 3888
... that Dutch artist Wim T. Schippers is responsible for Pindakaasvloer, a 4-by-12-metre (13 ft × 39 ft) floor covered in peanut butter, and Torentje van Drienerlo (pictured), a church spire sticking up from a pond? Pindakaasvloer 16 Sep 2013 4047 3908
... that French artist Maximilien Luce (self-portrait pictured) published an album of lithographs documenting his experiences as a political prisoner? Maximilien Luce 29 Sep 2013 2106 578
... that Frank Vincent DuMond created the illustrations (example pictured) for Mark Twain's book on Joan of Arc? "The Capture of the Tourelles" – illustration by Frank DuMond from Mark Twain's Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc Frank DuMond 17 Oct 2013 1175 3621
... that Albert Dubois-Pillet added the "Pillet" to his name when signing his paintings (example pictured) in an attempt to hide his art-related activities from the military? The Banks of the Marne at Dawn, a Pointillist watercolor painting by Albert Dubois-Pillet, c. 1888 Albert Dubois-Pillet 27 Jan 2014 5662 2264
... that Spanish artist Glòria Muñoz uses the chapel of an abandoned convent as her studio? Glòria Muñoz 8 Mar 2014 913


My DYK nominations of articles created by others
Date Article Hook
28 June 2010 Edward Weston ... that, when asked why he opened his studio in Tropico rather than nearby Los Angeles, photographer Edward Weston replied, "I'm going to make my name so famous that it won't matter where I live"?
1 Oct 2010 Self-portrait (Thomas Eakins) ... that in Thomas Eakins' Self-portrait, the contrast between his formal attire and his unkempt grooming alludes to a rebellious nature restrained by cultural mores?
3 Oct 2010 Portrait of Maud Cook ... that the suggestion of repressed sexuality in Thomas Eakins' Portrait of Maud Cook has been seen as both intriguing and disturbing?
14 Oct 2010 Austin Volk ... that, while serving in the Solomon Islands during World War II, Austin Volk discovered a river which he named "Brown Bear River" in honor of his alma mater, Brown University?
24 Feb 2011 Spirit of the Dead Watching ... that the strong colors in Paul Gauguin's Spirit of the Dead Watching (pictured) are symbolic of the native Polynesian belief that phosphorescent lights were manifestations of the spirits of the dead?
3 May 2011 Pyramid of Skulls ... that Cézanne may have painted Pyramid of Skulls (pictured) because he was drawn to the forms, exclaiming, "How beautiful a skull is to paint!"?
26 Nov 2011 Hülfensberg ... that the pilgrimage site (cross pictured) on the mountain Hülfensberg, popular since the Middle Ages, survived the Reformation, the dissolution by Jérôme Bonaparte, Bismarck's Kulturkampf, and the division of Germany?
15 Dec 2011 Portrait of Balthasar Castiglione (Raphael) ... that Raphael's Portrait of Balthasar Castiglione (pictured) was admired and copied by Titian, Rembrandt, Peter Paul Rubens and Henri Matisse?
17 Dec 2011 Study of a Kneeling Nude Girl for The Entombment ... that Michelangelo's Study of a Kneeling Nude Girl for The Entombment (pictured) is believed to be the earliest existent European drawing of a nude female model?
1 Jan 2012 Joseph and Potiphar's Wife (etching) ... that Rembrandt's Joseph and Potiphar's Wife is considered "unprecedented in its erotic candor"?
30 Apr 2012 I Don't Want To Blow You Up! ... that, according to a 2008 book, Kareem Abdul Jabbar doesn't want to blow you up?
13 Apr 2013 Max Weber (artist) ... that a 1911 show of paintings by Max Weber (1916 painting pictured) resulted in "one of the most merciless critical whippings that any artist has received in America"?
19 Jun 2013 En Canot, Im Boot (Metzinger) ... that Jean Metzinger's painting En Canot (pictured in black and white) appeared in the Nazi Degenerate Art catalogue with the notation "Even this was once taken seriously and bought for good money!"?
30 Sep 2013 The Thinker: Portrait of Louis N. Kenton ... that, while a portrait by Thomas Eakins of his brother-in-law (pictured) was described as ugly and awkward, a critic later singled it out as "the most restrained, most classical of all the Eakins canvases"?
8 Mar 2014 Lucy Madox Brown ... that a painting by Lucy Madox Brown (pictured as a child) was described by Dante Gabriel Rossetti as a "perfect picture"?
1 Apr 2014 Echo (elephant) ... that scientists observed an echo that lasted 65 years?
10 Mar 2015 La Nymphe surprise ... that Manet considered La Nymphe surprise (pictured) one of his most important paintings?
28 Mar 2015 Allegory of Fortune ... that Allegory of Fortune (detail pictured) almost got its painter jailed and excommunicated?

People I've met in real life[edit]

Awards[edit]

The Article Rescue Barnstar
For rescuing Bert Glennon from a CSD, I, LAAFan, award you this barnstar LAAFan 14:43, 18 August 2008 (UTC)
The Defender of the Wiki Barnstar
This is being offered in appreciation of your excellent work within the WP:UAA sector of Wikipedia. Thank you very much for your wonderful input. Pastor Theo (talk) 09:53, 7 August 2009 (UTC)
The Tireless Contributor Barnstar
Well deserved and congratulations Mandarax on 50K and for all of your excellent work on visual arts and related. Modernist (talk) 23:09, 11 November 2009 (UTC)
The Tireless Contributor Barnstar
For helping in the elimination of euphemisms. Kittybrewster (talk) 12:52, 14 December 2009 (UTC)

User:Mandarax has been identified as an Awesome Wikipedian,
and therefore, I've officially declared today as Mandarax's day!
For being such a beautiful person and great Wikipedian,
enjoy being the Star of the day, dear Mandarax!

Peace,
Rlevse
00:25, 6 July 2010 (UTC)

A record of your Day will always be kept here.

Mandarax has been identified as an Awesome Wikipedian,
so I've officially declared today as Mandarax's Day!
For being a great person and awesome Wikipedian,
enjoy being the star of the day, Mandarax!

Signed,
NeutralhomerTalk • 05:11, 6 January 2011 (UTC)

A record of your Day will always be kept here.

The Working Man's Barnstar
You haven't had one of these in a while, yet you keep plugging away. Thank you. Drmies (talk) 21:41, 9 February 2011 (UTC)
The DYK Medal
For your tireless work in the DYK project area, which does not go unnoticed, and for writing the Batman 1 April 2011 hook. Materialscientist (talk) 03:47, 4 April 2011 (UTC)
The Anti-Flame Barnstar
i think you need this one qwerty1219 chat 19:42, 9 June 2011 (UTC)
The Tireless Contributor Barnstar
For everything you do on the visual arts (including correcting my mistakes), and related. Modernist (talk) 20:57, 3 July 2011 (UTC)
The Fearsome Jurassic Thesaurus award
For your tireless copy-editing in DYK! AshLin (talk) 18:25, 16 July 2011 (UTC)
The Do-I-Really-Have-To-Explain Award
For their fantabulous gnoming, now over 178,000 times. Drmies (talk) 00:59, 19 July 2011 (UTC)
The Graphic Designer's Barnstar
Thanks for always helping me with my formatting problems. LadyofShalott 20:40, 11 August 2011 (UTC)
The Original Barnstar
Awarded because it looks like you did a few hours of very boring looking work today. bodnotbod (talk) 13:38, 22 August 2011 (UTC)
The Original Barnstar
For your efforts at Wikipedia:Contribution Team/Backlogs/Participants and progress. Cloudbound (talk) 21:14, 15 October 2011 (UTC)
The Copyeditor's Barnstar
You're awesome in many ways. Thank you for improving James Kidd (prospector). Means a lot to have someone pay attention to the little details. PanydThe muffin is not subtle 12:33, 28 October 2011 (UTC)
The Barnstar of Fine Arts
Richly deserved for your many contributions. Best wishes, JNW (talk) 18:47, 30 November 2011 (UTC)
The Minor Barnstar
This is for your many, many, many minor edits that add up to major improvement of the 'pedia. Thank you for all the work you do. LadyofShalott 22:46, 21 January 2012 (UTC)
The Editor's Barnstar
For picking up after me, time after time after time. WP would be a badly-running place without you. Drmies (talk) 22:14, 28 January 2012 (UTC)
Protector of Wikipedian Sex Workers Award
Some moral crusader almost stripped me of my already non-existing status as one of the last Wikipedian sex workers, and you saved me. You are my hero. Ms. Drmies (talk) 01:00, 11 February 2012 (UTC)
knowledge and precision
Thank you for sharing your profound knowledge, your viewpoint on art, your patience in repairing the same formal mistakes over and over, your review of one Bach cantata to improve them all (with more patience, of course). Did you know that there is now a better list of the Bach cantatas, transferred from Germany? --Gerda Arendt (talk) 21:03, 14 February 2012 (UTC)
The Copyeditor's Barnstar
Yes it was. Well spotted. These are the kinds of games I like to play with the kids. Drmies (talk) 14:42, 16 February 2012 (UTC)
The Copyeditor's Barnstar
For cleaning up all of my typos, spelling, and grammar mistakes on Eddie's House, I award you this barnstar.Thanks for all you do! Found5dollar (talk) 13:36, 25 February 2012 (UTC)
The Editor's Barnstar
For your fine work at Columbo. —Djathinkimacowboy 18:50, 28 March 2012 (UTC)
The LGBT Barnstar
Thanks for fixing the wikilink on Pink News and helping with an important LGBT article! I most likely wouldn't have noticed it. Jenova20 22:51, 9 April 2012 (UTC)
The Original Barnstar
I haven't barnstarred you in at least a week or so: this is so you don't forget that the wiki will break without you. Thanks for remembering my anniversary: I had no idea it's already been a year. Thanks also for your continued advice and support; if I've done anything right it's in large part because of help from editors like (I could list a dozen more immediately, but you're top of the list). Mandarax, I worship you. Have a great holiday weekend--if transponsters have holidays, of course. Drmies (talk) 13:04, 27 May 2012 (UTC)
The Original Barnstar
Thanks a lot Mandarax for helping me correct and fix my user page quickly! Your efforts have been very helpful :) TheGeneralUser (talk) 10:30, 29 June 2012 (UTC)
Navigating on storm tossed seas
Just like Saint Brendan, you have been a savior. Thank you. 7&6=thirteen () 19:36, 11 September 2012 (UTC)
The Random Acts of Kindness Barnstar
Aw shucks Mandarax, I'm all flushed. Drmies (talk) 04:26, 6 October 2012 (UTC)
The Tireless Contributor Barnstar
For your virtuality, displayed yet again in Nederlands Letterenfonds. Drmies (talk) 03:21, 31 October 2012 (UTC)
A Tshirt!
I thought that you deserved something a bit extra for all of the amazing work you've done for the project.
I've nominated you for a gift from the Wikimedia Foundation!
LadyofShalott 00:17, 19 November 2012 (UTC)
The Working Man's Barnstar
for tirelessly fixing minor changes to DYK nominations & ensuring that editors errors are fixed Dan arndt (talk) 09:40, 7 March 2013 (UTC)
The Minor Barnstar
It may seem completely trivial, but thanks for catching the en dash on the DYK — little things matter! NorthBySouthBaranof (talk) 09:09, 31 May 2013 (UTC)
The Original Barnstar
Thank you again, Mandarax, for looking over my shoulder. I'm kind of pissed: I went to school with him, and he's a thousand times more notable than me, and better-looking to boot. (Well, with hair he was; he got ALL the girls.) Drmies (talk) 01:22, 12 June 2013 (UTC)
The Defender of the Wiki Barnstar
Well caught. Kudpung กุดผึ้ง (talk) 22:01, 29 June 2013 (UTC)
Good as gold!
Earlier this year, I began presenting the Golden Editor Award to editors who have made a significant contribution to this project. While I don't recall ever having talked with you, I believe that you meet the criteria for this award (you should probably be given an award simply for hanging around this place for eight-and-a-half years). Your userpage shows you've done plenty of content work, but I'm sure that's not the only way you have contributed to the 'pedia. I have been impressed by the respect shown to you both on Drmies talk page and also in the "Admin" section above. I certainly hope you will at least consider presenting yourself to the community as a candidate for adminship. While your hesitance to give it a try is understandable, RfA isn't always as bad as it's made out to be and this community needs more quality candidates. Either way, I am quite pleased to dub you a Golden Editor (even if chocolate is better than cheese). AutomaticStrikeout  ?  02:01, 13 August 2013 (UTC)
The Tireless Contributor Barnstar
For always fixing my DYK formatting errors, and everyone else's, I award Mandarax this barnstar! Matty.007 18:59, 4 September 2013 (UTC)
The Writer's Barnstar
Nice job expanding Maximilien Luce and for nominating it at DYK. It is a very interesting article. Keep up the good work :) ComputerJA () 00:58, 29 September 2013 (UTC)
The Barnstar of Diligence
I want to thank you for the work you do around here. It truly is pleasing to know that I have someone that can always help and support the articles and the DYK nominations that I have done. Keep on editing friend! Proudbolsahye (talk) 04:54, 13 October 2013 (UTC)
Editor of the Week
Your ongoing efforts to improve the encyclopedia have not gone unnoticed: You have been selected as Editor of the Week, for despite frequently recognized content contributions, underrecognized behind-the-scenes work, particularly at DYK. Thank you for the great contributions! (courtesy of the Wikipedia Editor Retention Project) Go Phightins! 00:14, 18 November 2013 (UTC)
The Guidance Barnstar
With my 300,000 edit, I want to thank you for helping me reach the dubious plateau. Without your help and guidance, I would never have found my place that keeps me around here. Bgwhite (talk) 23:12, 22 January 2014 (UTC)
The 25 DYK Creation and Expansion Medal
Welcome to the club of people who not only write brilliant content (and you even won the DYK medal for tireless work around the nominations, correcting countless mistakes), but who also make the extra effort to present facts accessibly and visible for people with broad interests. The beauty and expression of the arts comes across in your articles, and understanding for the creators' background in works such as ‎John McLaughlin and Albert Dubois-Pillet. We look forward to more of your creations for brain, eye and heart. --Gerda Arendt (talk) 19:45, 29 January 2014 (UTC)
The savior of lost causes award
Thank you Mandarax. You are a kind man. Drmies (talk) 14:11, 2 April 2014 (UTC)
The Minor barnstar
For outstanding patience and for a wonderful page. A barnstar for you! Hafspajen (talk) 21:37, 18 June 2014 (UTC)
The Tireless Contributor Barnstar
The Tireless Contributor Barnstar is awarded to especially tireless editors who contribute an especially large body of work without sacrificing quality. Hafspajen (talk) 15:01, 19 October 2014 (UTC)
Conspicuous attention to detail
Thank for your work at Template:Did you know nominations/Hold Me While I'm Naked. 7&6=thirteen () 16:01, 3 June 2015 (UTC)
thanks
Mandarax,

Thanks for your encouragement and suggestions. I cite myself mostly because that material is published and therefore has some legitimacy but I completely understand the suggestion to be very conservative doing so and to branch out and add different materials. The conflict of interest information was very useful. Thanks, again. SummerTigress 14:25, 20 December 2016 (UTC)

The Random Acts of Kindness Barnstar
Hope you are well, Mandarax. Drmies (talk) 18:02, 10 October 2017 (UTC)
The Original Barnstar
Mandarax, thank you so much for your help on a million articles including this one, Tugelbay Sydykbekov. Drmies (talk) 00:07, 18 May 2019 (UTC)
The Teamwork Barnstar
Witch-hunts in Nepal was featured at DYK yesterday and received almost 10,000 views! I really appreciate your help in improving the article during the approval process. Thank you very much! Usedtobecool   18:29, 13 August 2019 (UTC)
The Original Barnstar
for helping with DYK nomination Sm8900 (talk) 01:32, 9 September 2019 (UTC)
The da Vinci Barnstar
For all you technical DYK work --evrik (talk) 04:27, 9 June 2020 (UTC)
The Random Acts of Kindness Barnstar
Thank you so much for helping me with my first DYK. I owe you a million! Zakaria1978 ښه راغلاست (talk) 03:12, 12 December 2020 (UTC)
The Special Barnstar
For outstanding work in the fine arts related articles. MRRaja001 (talk) 09:28, 29 December 2020 (UTC)
The Barnstar of Diligence
Thanks for catching those small (and many times not so small) but important mis-edits in the DYK nominations! Much appreciated. Ktin (talk) 22:24, 31 January 2021 (UTC)
The Minor Barnstar
There's a reason that ants are considered some of the most vicious, warlike creatures in the world—even the tiniest of things can have a massive impact in numbers. Your edits at the prep sets of DYK, while not earth-shatteringly flashy, are a boon for the project and I can't express my gratitude for them, especially when I was just starting out in August. Thank you! the ants go marching one by one, hurrah, hurrah theleekycauldron (talkcontribs) (they/them) 22:07, 10 October 2021 (UTC)
The Teamwork Barnstar
For your work on Tomé Ferreira da Silva. Bearian (talk) 15:36, 2 March 2022 (UTC)
The Template Barnstar
For all your work making DYK work. Thanks. --evrik (talk) 20:16, 13 April 2022 (UTC)


(The above list includes only archived awards. Any more recent ones may be on my current talk page.)