173 



ROTTECK, KARL WENCESLAUS VON. 



ROUBILIAC, LOUIS FRANCOIS. 



174 



spare time towards the accomplishment of a great historical work, 

 which secured him a high rank among the historians of Europe. Of 

 his 'Allgemeine Weltgeschichte, 1 (' Universal History,') the first volume 

 was published in 1811, but it was only finished in 1827. Germany 

 having recovered its independence through the treaties of 1814 and 

 1815, and political liberty having been promised to the inhabitants, 

 Rotteck made the constitutional law of Germany an object of his par- 

 ticular attention; and desiring to propagate his ideas, gave up the 

 chair of history, and petitioned for that of politics and the law of 

 nations in the same university, which he obtained in 1818. On those 

 subjects he published a great number of works and memoirs as well as 

 articles in the leading liberal periodicals in Germany, and the princes 

 of Germany being then active in checking the rising liberal spirit of 

 the nation, he obtained great popularity. In 1819 he was chosen by 

 his university as their representative in the first chamber of the States 

 of Eaden. In the same year appeared hia ' Ideen iiber Landstiinde,' 

 (' Ideas on Representative Bodies,') a work distinguished by great histo- 

 rical learning, liberal views, and that lucid and attractive style for 

 which he is remarkable among the German historians and publicists. 

 Some time afterwards he wrote a work on standing armies, the danger 

 of which he endeavoured to show, and a history of the transactions of 

 the States of Baden, which were well received by the people, but 

 made him many enemies among the friends of the old state of things. 



Thus, lecturing in the university, propagating his liberal views 

 through countless minor productions, and representing Freiburg in the 

 states, he continued till 1830. The outbreak of the French revolution 

 in 1830 gave fresh vigour to his activity ; he became the leading spirit 

 of the best among the liberal periodicals of Germany, several of which 

 were founded by him ; and giving up his seat in the first chamber of 

 the states as member for the university, he accepted the membership 

 for the city of Freiburg, which placed him in the second chamber, 

 among the representatives of the people. At the head of those 

 members who by their unremitting zeal in developing political freedom 

 in Baden set an example to all Germany, Rotteck was exposed to 

 slander, and at last violent attacks. As soon as the fear of France had 

 subsided, the German government took courage to punish those who 

 had given offence. In consequence of a decree of the Diet in 

 1832, the Baden government forbade Rotteck to lecture in the 

 University of Freiburg, and he was declared to have forfeited, for five 

 years, the right of editing any newspaper. Germany now looked upon 

 him as a political martyr, and from its most distant provinces he 

 received addresses and presents. His native city elected him mayor, 

 but the government refused to give their sanction : they likewise tried 

 to exclude him from the second chamber of the states, and to prevent 

 his re-election ; but there they failed, and from 1830 to 1840 he con- 

 tinued to represent Freiburg without any interruption. In 1840 the 

 Baden government re-admitted him as a lecturer at Freiburg, but it 

 was too late : after a severe illness, rendered worse by the moral suffer- 

 ings he had been exposed to, Rotteck died on the 20th of November, 

 1840. His death was mourned as a public calamity in all Germany. 



The principal work of Rotteck is his ' Allgemeine Weltgeschichte ' 

 mentioned above, which extends from the commencement of authentic 

 history to 1815. It met with such success that a fifteenth edition was 

 called for, and published in 1841-45, in 11 vols. 8vo., with a continua- 

 tion to 1840, by K. H. Hermes, Brunswick. Of these eleven volumes, 

 nine are the work of Rotteck, and the two last the continuation of 

 Hermes. No general history ever enjoyed such popularity as this 

 splendid production of Rotteck ; in Germany it is in the hands of 

 almost every educated family ; its fame soon spread over Europe and 

 America; and it was consequently translated into most of the 

 European languages. The English translation by T. Jones, Philadel- 

 phia, four vols. 8vo, 1840-42, 2nd edition, London, 1842, is however 

 only a translation of an extract of the 'General History,' which 

 Rotteck published under the title ' Auszug aus der Weltgeschichte,' 

 Freiburg, 1831, &c. 4 vols. 8vo. Contrary to the .practice of most 

 German historians, Rotteck simply relates history, indulging neither 

 in critical investigation of trifles, nor in metaphysical contemplation 

 of the broad facts of human deeds. But the whole is represented 

 from a liberal point of view, and enlivened by sound reflections on the 

 origin of freedom and slavery, and the causes of the rise and fall of 

 nations. The style of Rotteck is clear and attractive, but sometimes 

 a little rhetorical ; the logical order is never interrupted ; and every 

 page shows that the author possessed that rare taste and that discre- 

 tion which enable a man to distinguish between trifles and important 

 facts, and to give neither too much nor too little. The reader who 

 wishes to obtain a strong impression of the peculiar merit of this 

 work, as the production of a German historian, need only compare it 

 with Hammer's far-famed History of the Turkish Empire. Among 

 the other works of Rotteck we mention ' Kleinere Schriften' (' Minor 

 Works '), 5 vols. 8vo, 1829-35, which contain a great number of valuable 

 memoirs, essays, letters, &c., on various, mostly historical subjects ; 

 ' Lehrbuch des Vernunftrechts und der Staatswissenschaften* ('Doc- 

 trine of Law as a Metaphysical Science, and of Public and Const itu 

 tionalLaw'), 4 vols. 8vo, 1829, &c. ; 'Staatsrecht der Constitutionellen 

 Monarchic ' (' The Public Law of Constitutional Monarchies '), 3 vols. 8vo, 

 1824, &c. Rotteck was the co-editor, with Welcker, of the excellent 

 ' Staats Lexicon,' &c. (' Political Dictionary '). Dr. Hermann Rotteck, 

 the son of the historian, published 'Rotteck'a Nachgelassene Schriften' 



(' Posthumous Works '), Freiburg, 5 vols. 8vo, 1841-43, which contain 

 also most of the ' Minor Works ' mentioned above. 



(The Life of Rotteck by his Son, in the fourth volume of Nach- 

 gelastene Schriften ; Roteck's Ehrentempel, Freiburg, 1842 ; Converse 

 tions-Lexicon Supplement.) 



ROTTENHAMER, or ROTHENAMER, JOHANN, was born at 

 Munich in 1464, and received instruction in the rudiments of painting 

 from an obscure artist named Donhaur or Donower. Early in life he 

 went to Rome, and became known for small historical compositions 

 painted on copper in a style of most minute finishing. Emboldened 

 by success, he undertook to paint for one of the churches of Rome a 

 large altar-piece, representing several saints and a glory of angels, a 

 work which, when completed, excited astonishment at the extent and 

 versatility of his talents. This work he afterwards repeated for the 

 church of Santa Croce at Mantua. He visited Venice, and studied 

 the colouring of Tintoretto, whose style he imitated with great 

 exactness. Whilst at Venice, he painted some pictures for the public 

 edifices, two of which are mentioned by Lanzi, namely, a Santa 

 Cristina at the Incurabili, and an Annunciation at San Bartolommeo ; 

 but that writer speaks in slighting terms of these works, and generally 

 so of the talent of the painter. During his stay in Italy, which lasted 

 several years, he was patronised by Ferdinand, duke of Milan, for 

 whom he painted, amongst numerous works, a picture of Nymphs 

 dancing, which was much admired. 



He returned to his native country, and established himself at Augs- 

 burg, where he was much employed. For the emperor Rudolph II. 

 he painted a fine picture of the Feast of the Gods, a composition of 

 many figures, gracefully designed, and coloured with the splendour of 

 the Venetian school. Many of his backgrounds were painted by John 

 Breughel, and some by Paul Bril. He was partial to the introduction 

 of gaudy- accessories into his pictures, which he frequently enlivened 

 by naked figures designed with taste and coloured with delicacy. His 

 heads are expressive, but present too much sameness of appearance, 

 and his design, though tolerably correct, is generally formal and 

 mannered. Though greatly employed, Rottenhamer died in poverty, 

 and was buried by subscription at Augsburg, where (and not in 

 England, as Lanzi says) he died in 1604. 



ROUBILIAC, LOUIS FRANCOIS, an eminent sculptor, was born 

 about 1695, at Lyon in France, but long resident in England, where 

 all the works by which he gained his reputation were executed. It is 

 not known exactly at what period Roubiliac came to this country, 

 though Cunningham is probably not far wrong in fixing the date in 

 1720. The earliest notice of him as an artist is the statement of Lord 

 Orford, that he was recommended by Sir Edward Walpole to execute 

 several busts for Trinity College, Dublin, but he does not mention the 

 year when this happened. He was afterwards employed, through the 

 same interest, on the monument of John, duke of Argyle, in which he 

 was so successful, that his claims to the highest honours of his pro- 

 fession were at once admitted, and, as he became the fashion, his 

 practice was soon greater than that of the most popular artists of the 

 day. Rysbrach, who also was settled in England, and who, till 

 Roubiliac and Scheemacker appeared, was employed in all important 

 works in sculpture, was neglected, and his merits forgotten in the 

 desire to do honour to the new favourite. Roubiliac's chief works are 

 the above-mentioned monument of the Duke of Argyle, those of Sir 

 Peter Warren, of Marshal Wade, and of the Nightingale family, all in 

 Westminster Abbey ; those of the Duke and Duchess of Montague, in 

 Northamptonshire ; and one in memory of Bishop Hough, in Worces- 

 ter Cathedral. His principal statues are of George I., at Cambridge ; 

 of George II., in Golden-square, London; of Shakspere, executed for 

 Garrick, and bequeathed by him to the British Museum, where it now 

 is ; of Handel, the composer, iu Westminster Abbey ; and those of 

 the Duke of Somerset and Sir Isaac Newton, both at Cambridge. His 

 busts are very numerous : it is only necessary to mention the cele- 

 brated series of busts of eminent men in Trinity College, Cambridge, 

 which amply establishes his high rank in that branch of the art. 



Of the high merit of Roubiliac there can be no doubt. The monu- 

 ments of Mr. Nightingale and his lady, the statue of Eloquence in 

 the Argyle monument, the draped figure in Bishop Hough's monument, 

 and the statue of Newton, are proofs of power both in invention and 

 expression, and are remarkable also for minute and careful execution. 

 At the same time they are deficient in the repose, simplicity, unity, 

 and breadth which ought to characterise works in sculpture, and which 

 alone can ensure the lasting reputation of productions in this art when 

 the interest that may have been felt in the individual subjects, the 

 fashion of the day, and the popularity of the artist, have passed away. 

 In the absence of these principles we find sufficient reason for the 

 (comparatively) low estimation in which the sculpture of Roubiliac is 

 now held by all real judges of art. 



The most striking defect in the Nightingale monument (to illus- 

 trate criticism by reference to a well-known work), is, that the limits 

 which separate poetry and imitative art are transgressed, and the 

 result is confusion and incongruity. The sentiment of a husband 

 endeavouring to shield a beloved wife from the approach of death is 

 just ; it appeals to our sympathies, and the mind at once comprehends 

 it ; but the attempt to give form to this idea by representing a com- 

 mon-place figure, in modern dress, warding off a palpable and material 

 dart about to be hurled by a grim skeleton making that an agent 



