When angels and daemons interrupt the vicious and intemperate

One Featured article was promoted this week.

• The Destroying Angel and Daemons of Evil Interrupting the Orgies of the Vicious and Intemperate (nominated by Iridescent) William Etty painted The Destroying Angel in 1832, ten years after he'd been promised 60 guineas by Henry Payne of Leicester for a painting of the subject. Etty had been stung by newspaper criticism that he was lacking in taste and chastity of mind and was determined to prove his critics wrong. So he resurrected Payne's proposal, and set to with a will. Payne having given him free rein in the design of the picture, Etty portrayed "around 25 semi-naked human figures" (sounds like nobody's actually dared count them) engaged in "orgies" in a "Temple of Vice". To introduce a moral dimension, the orgies are being interrupted by the Destroying Angel and some naked swarthy daemons. In a neat division of labour, the Angel knocks down the architecture while the daemons carry off as many of the orgiasts as they can grab. Over the decade Etty's marketability had grown, so Payne paid 130 pounds for the finished canvas. Payne sold the painting in 1854 at auction for 770 guineas to the engineer Sir Joseph Whitworth- prices for Etty's paintings had increased rapidly after his death.

Seven Featured lists were promoted this week.

• Angelina Jolie filmography (nominated by FrB.TG) Angelina Jolie has an eclectic filmography, ranging from voice-overs in animated films through dramatisations of video-games to intense psychological dramas. She won an Oscar for her portrayal of a sociopathic patient in the film Girl, Interrupted. Recently Jolie has directed a brace of war films, set during the Bosnian War and in a WW2 Japanese camp. Is she going places? Yes, unless that place is called Serbia.
• Deepika Padukone filmography (nominated by Krimuk90) Deepika Padukone, Bollywood actress, has appeared in almost thirty major films since 2006. Most of them are in Hindi and Tamil, so unless you speak those languages you'll need your reading glasses. The exception is Finding Fanny, which is in English; five dysfunctional friends go on a road-trip across Goa in search of Fanny. Padukone takes the part of Angie, a "young virgin widow", who becomes a "young widow" halfway through the tangled plot. She muses that "you can't wait for love, you must go out and find it". That's true- you won't find Fanny right under your nose.
• Denzel Washington on screen and stage (nominated by Cowlibob) Denzel Washington started his acting career age 22 in a 1977 TV adaptation of the life of Wilma Rudolph, American athlete. His stage debut followed in 1979 in Shakespeare's Coriolanus and film in 1981 with Washington playing "the long-lost black son of...a respectable [white] businessman" in Carbon Copy. He's won two Oscars, with "Best Actor" for his cop on the take, in Training Day.
• List of Gaon Album Chart number ones of 2011 (nominated by HĐ) The Gaon Album Chart shows what's selling in South Korean music albums; it's compiled by those fun-loving guys at Korea Music Content Industry Association, in association with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, who provide the numbers. The ministry squeezes 'em out of the six major distributors of offline and online product. It's only been since 1987 that the Ministry of Culture have stopped censoring music; the Korean version of Dark Side of the Moon only had eight tracks instead of ten, omitting Us and Them and Brain Damage.
• List of Warwickshire County Cricket Club grounds (nominated by ChrisTheDude and AssociateAffiliate) The WCCC, like other county cricket associations, had a number of grounds scattered in towns and cities around their "patch". Their main ground is at Edgbaston, laid out there in 1894 to "enhance the image of the district", and there are or were ten other grounds at which first class matches have been played. Of those that have fallen out of use, the Courtaulds ground in Coventry is the only one that hasn't been built on. It was laid out on land belonging to Courtaulds the fibre manufacturers, and cost £15,000 to construct in 1935 (equivalent to about £930,000 or $1.4 million now). Warwickshire played its first county match there in June 1946. The last first class match was in 1983, and it's now the site of a weekly car boot sale, overlooked by the ruins of the pavilion.
• List of songs recorded by Ariana Grande (nominated by Calvin999) Ariana Grande is an American singer and actress with a "remarkable vocal range" (261 Hz to 2349 Hz, give or take a few Hertz). She was inspired to take up a music career after being complimented by Gloria Estefan, who saw a performance Grande gave when she was eight years old. She's recorded two studio albums, with the songs written by a number of collaborators, and she has worked with many rap and R'n'B musicians. Grande has adopted several dogs, who are among her biggest fans, especially when she hits 2349 Hz.
• Wisden Leading Cricketer in the World (nominated by Harrias) The Wisden Leading Cricketer in the World is a development of the almanack's "Cricketers of the Year', which has been awarded to the "five cricketers that had the greatest impact during the previous English cricket season" since 1889. Recognising that the best cricketers weren't playing English domestic cricket the criteria for the original award were extended to take into account international performances, but in 2004 a separate world award was instituted. Selection is made by Wisden's editor, under advice. The first winner was Australian Ricky Ponting. A "notional award" was later instituted, to recognise cricketers from 1900 onwards (it was felt that international cricket was too "inchoate" before that year). The winners are described as being the first choice for a place in a World XI to play Mars. One drawback of playing cricket on the Red Planet is that because the gravity is so weak, the balls can reach Uranus.

• 
  Indonesian author Iman Budhi Santosa
• 
  Composer Johann Christian Bach
• 
  Malian musician Fatoumata Diawara

Fourteen Featured pictures were promoted this week.

• Gorce Mountains (created by Pudelek; nominated by Tomer T) The Gorce Mountains are a range in the south of Poland, notable for their rich wildlife, including skunks. The peaks rise up to about 4,300 feet.
• Snowy owl (created by User:Michael Gäbler; nominated by Brandmeister) Snowy owls start life with a number of black feathers among the thick white plumage. They gradually lose these as they age, with females retaining more of them; this photo is of a male snowy owl. They live in Arctic regions, but migrate for long distances in the winter- some have been recently seen in Florida,
• Carl Nielsen (created by Adam Cuerden; nominated by Adam Cuerden) This is Danish composer Carl Nielsen, photographed probably in 1908. He is in his summer plumage, and his alert expression indicates that Nielsen has spotted a lady: although married, he had a roving eye.
• Fatoumata Diawara (created by Thesupermat; nominated by FakeShemp) Fatoumata Diawara is a Malian singer-songwriter, based in France. Her music blends the lyric innovations of Wassalou music with the blandness of international pop-rock.
• La traviata (created by Leopoldo Ratti; restored and nominated by Adam Cuerden) John Webber, who edited Wikipedia as Viva-Verdi, died in March this year, and work continues on our quest to provide a fitting memorial for his work on Wikipedia. The article on Giuseppe Verdi is up for good article status at the moment, and a selection of images of his articles with potential to reach featured picture are being worked on.
• Iman Budhi Santosa (created and nominated by Crisco 1492) Iman Budhi Santosa, commonly known as IBS, is seen here reading from his 2015 book Sesanti Tedhak Siti, a collection of geguritan (Islamic poetry in a particular metrical form, usually religious or spiritual) written from 1980 onwards. He is an Indonesian author, whose poetry reflects Javanese culture. The title refers to the ceremony of Tedhak Siti, the first meeting of a child with the earth; IBS says he wished to imply that the Javanese should relearn their culture.
• Robinson Crusoé (created by A. Jannin; restored and nominated by Adam Cuerden) Jacques Offenbach's comic opera in three acts, Robinson Crusoé, premièred in 1867. Its second professional performance was in 1973. The opera has a most marvellous plot, but unfortunately the margin of this page is too narrow to contain it.
• Kue (created by Gunkarta; nominated by Adam Cuerden) "Kue" is a general term for bite-sized pastries, savouries, cakes and sweets beloved in Indonesia. They incorporate recipes and techniques from other cultures, such as Chinese and Indian, and are called "market munchies".
• Johann Christian Bach (created by Thomas Gainsborough; nominated by Crisco 1492) The sad sad story of John Bach: born when his famous father was fifty years old, Johann Christian received a modicum of instruction from Old Bach. The contrapuntal style of his father faded from Johann's music, which was composed in the Galante style, with melodies and balanced phrasing (takes as long to go down the scale as it did to go up). Johann lived in Italy for a number of years before relocating to London when his operas received a warm welcome. He became John Bach, music master to George III's Queen Charlotte. But all the money he earned was embezzled by his steward, and he died in debt on New Year's Day, 1782.
• Meripilus giganteus (created by Michael Gäbler; nominated by Tomer T) Meripilus giganteus is a large fungus, mostly found on hardwoods. It causes white rot, and is generally considered inedible although, according to Maud Grieve in her Modern Herbal, its "esculent properties are appreciated on the continent." Thick fog in English Channel- continent cut off.
• When Will You Marry? (created by Paul Gauguin; nominated by Crisco 1492) Nafea Faa Ipoipo? by Paul Gauguin is the world's most expensive painting (at the moment). The Qataris were the rumoured buyers, but they've denied it and the painting is presently on display in Madrid.
• Edward Montagu, 1st Earl of Sandwich (created by Peter Lely; nominated by Crisco 1492) It would be a hundred years after Edward Montagu's death that the sandwich was invented by his great-great-grandson; the first Earl of Sandwich lived his whole life untroubled by the notion that he was some kind of foodstuff. Fighting on the side of Cromwell in the English Civil War, he later helped to restore the monarchy, and served Charles as an ambassador and later an admiral. Sandwich died in his burning flagship at the battle of Solebay.
• Caleb Strong (created by James Bannister; nominated by Godot13) Caleb Strong was a Massachusetts lawyer and politician, whose legal practice thrived during the American Revolution. He was governor of Massachusetts twice; during his second term from 1812 to 1816 he opposed the federal government's pursuit of war against Britain as a case of trampling on states' rights. Strong believed that the state militia should only be used to protect the state borders.
• Angklung (created and nominated by Crisco 1492) The angklung is an ensemble instrument made from bamboo. The tubes are tuned in pairs, one octave apart, and are sounded by striking to produce a resonance.

• 
  Bubo scandiacus, the snowy owl.
• 
  Cover to an early vocal score of Jacques Offenbach's Robinson Crusoé
• 
  Angklung could only sing one note and the note he sang was this: G.

← Previous "Featured content"

Next "Featured content" →

In this issue

15 July 2015 (all comments)

Op-ed

Traffic report

WikiProject report

In the media

Blog

News and notes

Featured content

Technology report

+ Add a comment

Discuss this story

These comments are automatically transcluded from this article's talk page. To follow comments, add the page to your watchlist. If your comment has not appeared here, you can try purging the cache.

==Free what?==

Any chance that "free reign" could be corrected to "free rein" in this article? The former is a natural mistake to make, but the expression refers back to the days of equestrian transport: keeping a horse on a tight rein meant exercising a lot of control over it, while giving it free rein meant allowing it to do whatever it liked. See, for instance, the Oxford Dictionaries blog on the subject. Thanks-- Ammodramus (talk) 14:27, 19 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]

"It was the pesky autocorrect" the editor lied unconvincingly. Xanthomelanoussprog (talk) 14:53, 19 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Guineas

"Gentlemen were paid in guineas and tradesmen in pounds" is constructing an elaborate theory where none is needed. In the 19th century, items sold at auction were priced in guineas and items sold direct were priced in pounds—when it comes to guineas, the 5% difference between the guinea and the pound is the auctioneers commission (e.g. if something were sold at auction for 100 gns, the seller would receive £100 and the buyer would pay £105). The practice has disappeared for artworks as Sothebys and Christies no longer price in guineas, but it persists at some auctioneers like Tattersalls to this day. – iridescent 09:27, 20 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Payne offered 60 guineas, paid 130 pounds and received 770 guineas. I presume the latter was a direct sale. Xanthomelanoussprog (talk) 10:24, 20 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]

The 770 gn was the price paid at auction by Whitworth (18 May 1854), and Payne would have received £770—if you see a price quoted in guineas, it's almost always going to be an auction price. I've no idea why Payne made his original offer in guineas rather than pounds, but have just checked the source and it definitely is. Payne had married into the nobility in 1826 (and inherited Newarke House), so I suspect it was new-money insecurity about how one ought to behave. – iridescent 10:38, 20 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks- I've amended the entry. Just found the bit about Whistler- him versus Leyland over the Peacock Room, but unfortunately the website I found it on doesn't give the source (it claims "[Leyland] insulted Whistler by writing his check in pounds, the currency of trade, when payment to artists and professionals was customarily made in guineas.") Xanthomelanoussprog (talk) 10:53, 20 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]

I don't think Iridescent's statement about "guineas for auctions, pounds for direct sales" is correct. Googling (trollope guinea) and (trollope guineas) turns up a mention in The Eustace Diamonds of horses hired from a livery stable at three guineas, and one in Doctor Thorne in which a character suggests spending fifty guineas on a dressing-case. Elsewhere in Eustace Diamonds, Lizzie tells Lucy, "I'll give you a hundred-guinea brooch... You shall have the money and buy it yourself". None of these items, particularly the hired horse, appear to be bought at auction. I don't have the book at hand, but I believe that Daniel Pool's What Jane Austen Ate and Charles Dickens Knew states that guineas were considered more genteel than pounds. Ammodramus (talk) 12:01, 20 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]

The Whistler story came from a biography published probably early 1980s (which is when I read it) but I can't remember which. Payne's wife was dead by 1826 (Elizabeth Towndrow) as he received a grant of arms in memory of her and her father in that year. The way the grant is described in secondary sources seems to suggest that Payne already had arms, and the Towndrows didn't. Not sure about literary evidence, as "I'll give you a hundred-pound brooch..." has a certain weightiness to it… Xanthomelanoussprog (talk) 17:08, 20 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Yes, plenty of retail prices were in guineas well into the C19. It was only in 1816-17 that the sovereign coin replaced the guinea (coin). You find an over-average number of prices that are multiples of "21s." well into the 20th century too, mostly in posher contexts, but even for things like books. Only decimalization in 1971, and the inflation of the following years, truly killed the guinea, outside horseracing. Johnbod (talk) 21:01, 20 July 2015 (UTC)[reply]