JEAN-NICOLAS-LOUIS. 



DOBER, ALBRECHT. 



induced to lubmit to the now antiquated French school of criticism, 

 returned to bu youthful allegiance to Calderon and Lope de Vega, 

 and oooteoded for the principle* of Bathetic*, to which the epithet of 

 romantic' baa been generally applied. Hi* book came exactly at 

 the right moment. A complete revolution ha* taken place in the atate 

 of the Spanish drama, mainly produced by this work of Ouran, and 

 by the encouragement wbioh he gave in society to the young authors 

 who showed a disposition to adopt hi* principle*, and undoubtedly 

 the most brilliant pooh in iU hUtory ninco the time of Canizaret is 

 that of the laat quarter of a century. Hi* next *tp was al*o one 

 that had been suggested by the example of the Germans. He pub- 

 lUbed in 1828 a ' Komancero de Romance* Morisoos,' or collection of 

 the old Spauuh ballads on Moorish subject*, on the plan of that of 

 Dapping. Duran remark* in his preface on the attention that had 

 been paid of late yean to the elder Spanish literature in Germany, 

 Prance, and England, and observe* that in a abort time the Spaniard* 

 would have to go to foreign libraries to study the work* that belonged 

 to themselves. The observation is BO true, that of the materials for 

 notnt collections of Spanish ballads, some are to be found only at 

 Prague and some at the British Museum. The success of Duran's 

 'Komanoero' was great, and it was followed up in subsequent year* 

 by ' Romanoeros ' on other subject* and other collections by the same 

 editor, till a aeries waa formed which was indispensable in every good 

 Spanish library. In 1849 and 1851 he re-edited the whole of the 

 ballad* a* a portion of the extensive ' Biblioteca de Au tores Espaholes,' 

 issued at Madrid by Aribau and Rivadeneyra, the greatest and most 

 useful undertaking that has been ventured on for the last century by 

 a Spanish publisher. The new edition is called ' Romanoero General,' 

 or Collection of Spanish ballad* anterior to the 18th century, cor 

 reeled, arranged, classified, and annotated by Don Agustin Durnn, 

 and occupies two volumes of more than 600 pages esctb, closely printed 

 in double columns. In the prefaces the author does not forget to 

 acknowledge hi* obligations to foreign critics who have treated of the 

 subject, in particular to Ferdinand Wolff of Vienna, and in biblio- 

 graphical notices appended ho treat* in full of all previous collections 

 of the ballad* in a way to supersede all bibliography on the subject 

 of an earlier date. Duran ha* written several but not numerous 

 articles in various periodicals on literary topics, in particular one in 

 the ' Rerista de Madrid ' on ' Lope de Vega.' Some years ago he 

 commenced the publication of what was intended to be an extensive 

 collection of the old Spanish comedies, with critical remarks, but it 

 was dropped in a short time for want of encouragement, after a few 

 numbers of ' Tirso de Molina' had been issued. Ho ha* completed 

 iu manuscript a history of the Spanish theatre from its origin to the 

 mi idle of the 18th century, including a bibliography of all the plays 

 extant, which is likely when it appear* to supersede even the valuable 

 history by Sohack. In poetry he has been chiefly successful in pro- 

 ducing excellent imitations of the older Spanish writers, with all the 

 peculiarities of their antiquated language applied to modern events, the 

 marriage of Queen Christina, *c. A* a political writer he manifest*, like 

 many other writer* of hi* country, an exaggerated notion of its import- 

 ance, and what seem* to an Englishman a very inadequate notion of the 

 service* rendered to it by England in the Peninsular war : thus he 

 conclude* a violent philippic againat England by the observation that 

 "Spain ha* alraott always been the shield of Europe, almost always it 

 has Kpreased social catastrophes, and always Europe has been ungrate- 

 ful." I ton Aftustin U a knight of the order of Carlo* III., which he 

 received in 1888, and a member of the Royal Spanish Academy. 



M'KAND, JEAN-NICOLAS-LOUIS, Professor of Architecture at 

 Hi- keif Polytechnique, was born at Paris, September 18, 1760. His 

 fither was a shoemaker in very poor circumstances, but young Durand 

 ha/1 the good fortune to find a patron in a benevolent individual, who, 

 having been struck by the boy'* natural cleverness, offered to defray 

 the expense of his education. He was accordingly placed in the Col- 

 leg* Montaigne, where, though he quitted it much sooner than was 

 intend, d, owing to the strictness of the discipline there, he imbibed a 

 Uste for classical studies which he continued to cultivate. On leaving 

 college, a sculptor who had Been several sketches and drawing* by 

 him proposed to take him (then about the age of fourteen) as his 

 pupil. Hut bis progress did not answer the expectation of hi* in- 

 structor, all his leisure time and voluntary studies being given to 

 architecture. Hi* first benefactor being informed of his passion for 

 architectural studies, recommended him to Ponseron the architect 

 (author of 'Clemens d'Architecture,' Paris, 1772), under whom his 

 advance was exceedingly rapid. In about two year* he became draft* 

 man to Boulee, the kings architect, who waa so delighted with his 

 assiduity and ability, that he several times offered to raise hi* salary 

 aad when he refused to accept any advance, afterwards settled an 

 annuity upon him, which he received till his death. While with 

 Botilee, be also attended some of the courses of instruction at th< 

 Acaddmie Royale d'Aroliitecturr, where he in 1780 obtained the grea< 

 prize, the subject being a design for a college adapted to a site whoso 

 shape was an equilateral triangle. About a dozen years later, the 

 demand on the part of the National Convention (1798) for designs fo 

 public edifices of utility or embellishment, proposed to be erected in 

 various part* of France, afforded Durand and Thibau'i (who had becom 

 strongly attached to each other while both were with Boulce) an 

 opportunity of displaying their Uleuts upon a Tariety of subject*. 



They produced conjointly eleven different designs, of which four 

 btaiued the gnat prixe, and are published in Detournelle'i collection 

 of ' LM Grand* Prix.' After this, though the friendship between 

 >urand and Thibaud continued unabated, they ceased to practise in con- 

 cert with each other, In fact Durand, on being appointed to the pro- 

 ewonhip at the newly-founded fccole Centrale de* Travaux Publique, 

 afterwards the Keole Polytechnique, which he held for forty years, 

 ave himself up almost entirely to its duties, and to the *clf-iinpo*ed 

 ask of providing works of instruction for the pupil* and the profes- 

 sion in general Of these the most celebrated as a 'show-book/ is 

 the ' Recuoil et Parallele des Edifice* de tous Genre*,' 1800, oonsUting 

 of eighty-eix plate* of oblong or double folio size, and forming a 

 sort of historical gallery or museum of architecture. Yet though 

 ntcresting a* facilitating a general view of the subject, and affording 

 a comparison of different building* drawn to the same scale, its real 

 usefulness is by no mean* so great a* it at first seems. Notwith- 

 standing the size of the volume, which is such a* to render reference to 

 t very inconvenient, there are so many different subjects upon the same 

 >late that they are necessarily upon a very inadequate scale, and some 

 of them so small, that they might have been larger even on a duo- 

 decimo page. In other respects too they arc far from being shown 

 satisfactorily, there being seldom more than a mere general plan and 

 elevation of each ; besides which the collection is little other than a 

 compilation of all the most celebrated, consequently the most generally 

 mown buildings. Thus, without being sufficiently popular in form 

 and matter for the mass of the public, the work is too general in its 

 nature for professional study except as a synopsis of the subject, and 

 a sort of catalogue rsisoune. A new edition was published a few years 

 >ack, in which were several new plates, but they consist for the most 

 >art of subject* taken and reduced from the works of Schinkel, Kleuze, 

 md other architects. The ' Recueu" itself contains no text, but 

 >grnnd's ' Kssai sur 1'Histoire Qtacrale de 1' Architect lire' was pub- 

 ished as an accompaniment to it in a separate octavo volume. 1 hirsnd's 

 other work, the Precis des Lee. on* d'Architecture,' 2 torn. 4 to, is 

 federally considered a valuable one of its kind, yet has been objected 

 a a* seeking to establish formal mechanical rules that are rather 

 derogatory from true art. Accordingly, though greatly comnu-n I.. 1 

 jy some, hi* ' interaxal system' of laying out a plan by first dividing 

 the whole of it into a number of squares, determined by the iuter- 

 columniation adopted for the order, if there be one, has been denounced 

 }y others a* a dull and plodding process, calculated only to produce 

 wearisome monotony of arrangement, and to cramp the imagination. 

 There is another publication by him entitled ' Precis Qraptuque des 

 Jours d'Architecture,' &c., 4to, Paris, 1821. Durand died at ThiaU, 

 u the neighbourhood of Paris, December 31st, 1884. 



DURA<TK, FRANCESCO, a celebrated Italian composer, wa 

 :iorn in Naples in 1093, and educated under Alessandro Scarlatti 

 His works ore not numerous, and chiefly of the sacred kind. They 

 are said to be sweet yet solemn in style, but wanting in brilliancy. 

 He is now best remembered as the master of Pergolosi, Piccini, Sac- 

 chini, Poisiello, 4c,, who received instructions from him at the 

 Neapolitan Conservatories of St. Onofrio, and the Poveri di Geau 

 Christo, of both of which Duranta was the priucip :il. 



DO HER, ALBRECHT, or ALBERT, born at Niirnberg on the 20th 

 of May 1471, was the son of a skilful goldsmith, and received that 

 sound education which the wealthy burghers of the free towns of 

 Germany were accustomed to give to their children. In all branches 

 of instruction Albrecht made great progress, and showed also much 

 ingenuity in the profession for which he was Intended ; but his geuiua 

 being bent toward* a nobler art, to the great vexation of his father, 

 he gave up the working of gold, and placed himself under the most 

 able painter of his native country, Michael Wohlgemuth (1486). 

 After finishing hi* apprenticeship he set out on hi* travels, and in 

 1490 went through Germany. On hi* journey he painted portraits 

 and other pictures, which were highly admired. Improved by expe- 

 rience, and with increased reputation, he returned homo in 1494, and 

 Boon after executed bis masterpiece, a* it waa 'called, a drawing of 

 Orpheus. It was the custom of those time* for a painter in Germany, 

 iu order to be received and acknowledged as a master, to exhibit .1 

 piece which merited the approbation of his teacher and of the other 

 masters of his craft. When this was accomplished, the candidate 

 received a kind of diploma, and was entitled to the honours and rights 

 of a master. 



After obtaining the mastership DUrer visited Holland and Italy, 

 where he executed some of his best picture*, such as the ' Martyrdom 

 of St. Bartholomew ' for the church of St. Mark, and ' Adam and Eve' 

 for the German church in Venice, which was afterward* bought for 

 the Gallery of Prague. In Bologna he became acquainted with 

 Raffaelle, who esteemed him highly. In token of their friendship, 

 each presented the other with his portrait. He returned home in 

 1607, with the reputation of being the first painter of his country. 

 " Certainly," says Vasari ( Vito de' Pittori '), " if this diligent, indus- 

 trious, universal man bad been a native of Tuscany, and if he could 

 have studied as we have done in Rome, he would have been the best 

 painter in our country, as he was the most celebrated that Germany 

 ever bad." 



His productions were indeed so highly valued an to attract the 

 notice of the most powerful sovereigns of his time, Maximilian L and 



