81 



WEENINX, JAN BAPTIST. 



WEINBRENNER, FRIEDRICH. 



692 



rnents upon various kinds of clay and colouring substances, ho suc- 

 ceeded in producing the most delicate cameos, medallions, and minia- 

 ture pieces of sculpture, in a substance so extremely hard, and so well 

 adapted to resist all ordinary causes of destruction or injury, that they 

 appear likely to exceed even the bronzes of antiquity in durability. 

 Another important discovery made by him was that of painting on 

 vases and similar articles, without the glossy appearance of ordinary 

 painting on porcelain or earthenware ; an art which was practised by 

 the ancient Etruscans, but which appears to have been lost since the 

 time of Pliny. The indestructibility of some of his wares rendered 

 them extremely valuable for the formation of chemical vessels, par- 

 ticularly those exposed to the action of acids. The fame of his opera- 

 tions was such that his works at Burslem, and subsequently at Etruria, 

 a village erected by him near Newcastle-under-Lyme, and to which he 

 entirely removed in 1771, became a point of attraction to numerous 

 visitors from all parts of Europe. 



The result of Wedgwood's talent and energy not only obtained for 

 him extensive patronage and an ample fortune, but were also of the 

 highest importance to the commercial interests of the country. Altnon 

 observes that his new wares, his improved forms and chaste style of 

 decoration, and the judgment displayed in all his productions, which 

 were chiefly executed by artists of his own forming, turned the current 

 in this branch of commerce, while the national taste was improved, 

 and its reputation raised in foreign countries. In evidence before a 

 committee of the House of Commons, in 1785, Wedgwood stated that 

 from 15,000 to 20,000 pers'ons were then employed in the district 

 called the Potteries, and much greater numbers in digging coals for 

 them, and in various and distant parts of England, and even Ireland, 

 in raising and preparing flints and clay for the earthenware manu- 

 facture ; 50,000 or 60,000 tons of those materials being annually con- 

 veyed to Staffordshire by coasting and inland navigation. The im- 

 portance of the manufacture which he had so materially assisted in 

 raising to this prosperous state is further illustrated by the statement 

 that although many of the states of Europe had prohibited the admis- 

 sion of British earthenware, and others had loaded it with intolerable 

 duties, five-sixths of the quantity made were exported. Wedgwood's 

 success also led to the establishment of improved potteries in various 

 parts of the continent of Europe, as well as in several places in Great 

 Britain and Ireland. 



In addition to the attention bestowed by Wedgwood upon the 

 manufacture with which he has inseparably connected his name, he 

 deserves remembrance for the public spirit displayed by him in the 

 eucoui'agement of various useful schemes. By his exertions and the 

 engineering skill of Briudley a navigable communication between the 

 eastern and western coast of the island was completed, by the forma- 

 tion of the Trent and Mersey Canal, for which he cut the first clod on 

 the 17th of July 1766, and which was completed in 1770. By means 

 of this undertaking water-communication was established between the 

 pottery district of Staffordshire and the shores of Devonshire, Dorset- 

 shire, and Kent, whence some of the materials of the manufacture 

 are derived ; while the greatest facilities were afforded for the ex- 

 portation of the finished articles. Wedgwood also planned and carried 

 into execution a turnpike-road, ten miles in length, through the Pot- 

 teries. He was the founder and one of the principal leaders of the 

 association called ' The General Chamber of the Manufacturers of Great 

 Britain," instituted in consequence of Mr. Pitt's propositions, in the 

 year 1786, for adjusting the commercial intercourse between Great 

 Britain and Ireland ; an association by whose prompt and energetic 

 interference most serious evils were averted from the manufacturing 

 interests of this country, and whose proceedings upon the subsequent 

 occasion of a commercial treaty with France, published in the Appen- 

 dix to Almon's 'Anecdotes,' contain some curious information respect- 

 ing British commerce and manufacturing industry. 



Wedgwood was a fellow of both the Royal Society and the Society 

 of Antiquaries, and contributed some papers to the ' Philosophical 

 Transactions.' In private character he is said to have been exemplary, 

 and to have made the most liberal use of the ample means which his 

 successful and honourable career placed at his disposal. He died at 

 Etruria, where he had erected a handsome mansion, as well as manu- 

 factories and residences for his workmen, on the 3rd of January 1795, 

 in his sixty-fifth year. 



WEENINX, JAN BAPTIST, called 'the Old,' a distinguished 

 Dutch painter, was the son of Jan Weeninx, an architect of Amster- 

 dam, where he was born in 1621, but he lost his father when very 

 young. He was first apprenticed by his mother to a bookseller, but 

 he so perseveringly neglected everything except drawing, that his 

 mother placed him first with a painter of the name of Jan Micker, and 

 then with Abraham Bloemaart at Utrecht, with whom he soon made 

 great progress ; he studied afterwards two years with Nicolas Mojert, 

 and acquired his style of execution perfectly. At the age of eighteen 

 Weeninx married the daughter of the landscape-painter Giles Hon- 

 dekoeter, the grandfather of Melchior Hondekoeter. Four years after 

 his marriage he went alone to Home, intending to remain only a 

 short time there; but his own inclination, and the many orders he 

 received from the cardinal Pamfili and others, prolonged his stay 

 there to four years, when he was compelled by the importunities of 

 his wife and friends to return to Holland. He died at Utrecht in 1660, 

 aged only thirty-nine. Weeninx excelled in almost every department 



of painting, in history, portrait, animal, landscape, and marine paint- 

 ing. He painted in large and in small, and was remarkably rapid in 

 his execution. In a single summer's day he painted three half-length 

 portraits of the size of life, with accessories. Some of his small 

 pictures arc very highly finished, but his large works have more merit. 

 He was one of the best painters of birds of the Dutch echool. Hou- 

 braken mentions as an historical piece of great merit by Weeninx, the 

 Prodigal Son, commonly called 'T Pissend Jongetje : it has been 

 engraved in mezzotint by N. Verkolje. There is a clever etching of 

 Weeninx in Houbrakon's work, after a portrait by Bart, vander Heist 



WEENINX, JAN, called 'the Young,' was the son and pupil of 

 Jan Baptist Weeninx, and painted in the same style and the same 

 subjects aa his father, whom however he excelled in hunting and 

 sporting pieces, and also surpassed in colouring. He was born at 

 Amsterdam in 1644, and after spending some years in the service of 

 the elector John William of the Pfalz, he returned to his native place, 

 and died there in 1719. Jan Weeninx finished all his works with 

 great care. There are many excellent large pictures by him of birds 

 and hunting scenes in the gallery at Schleissheim near Munich. 



WEIDLER, JOHANN FRIEDRICH, was born at Gros-Neuhausen 

 in Thuriugia, April 23, 1691, and died at Wittenberg, November 30, 

 1755. He succeeded Wolff in the chair of mathematics at the latter 

 place in 1721. He wrote a large number of works, of some of which 

 the bare mention will be sufficient : as, ' Institution es Mathematicae,' 

 Wittenberg, 2 vols. 8vo, 1718, reprinted five times at least; 'De 

 Characteribus Numerorum Vulgaribus,' Wittenberg, 4to, 1727 (this is 

 by J. F. and George Immanuel Weidler) ; ' Tractatus de Machinis 

 Hydraulicis,' Wittenberg, 4to, 1728 and 1733; ' Institutione? Geo- 

 metriae Subterranean, 5 Wittenberg, 1751 (2nd ed.); ' Institutiones 

 Astronomic,' Wittenberg, 4 to, 1754. 



The memory of Weiriler is now preserved by two useful works, the 

 'Historia Astronomic,' Wittenberg, 4to, 174], and the ' Bibliographia 

 Astronomica,' Wittenberg, 4to, 1755, of which the latter also contains 

 supplements to the former. The history of astronomy was, at the 

 time it was published, the most regular, most learned, and most accu- 

 rate history of a single science which had ever been published ; it is 

 to this day a very convenient book of reference, and the more so as it 

 rather should be called the annals of astronomers than the history of 

 astronomy. The second work was taken entire by Lalande into his 

 ' Bibliographic Astronomique,' by which work it is therefore sup- 

 planted, except for the supplements. 



WEINBRENNER, FRIEDRICH, one of the most eminent German 

 architects of his time, was born November 9th, 1766, at Carlsruhe, 

 where his father was a carpenter and builder. Losing his father 

 before his future destination was fixed, his studies were rather irregu- 

 lar, he being directed only by the advice of his brother, who was some 

 years older than himself. Having obtained from him sufficient insight 

 into matters of practical routine, Weinbrenner commenced his artistical 

 ' Wanderjahre' in the spring of 1788, and set out for Zurich, where he 

 remained a considerable time, in consequence of being engaged to 

 superintend some timber constructions. He then went on, as soon aa 

 his engagements would permit, to Vienna, and after examining the 

 architectural monuments of that capital, he proceeded to Dresden and 

 Berlin, where he became acquainted with the brothers Genelli, archi- 

 tects of considerable reputa, who urged him to visit Italy, and he 

 accordingly set out for Rome in June 1792, in company with Carstens 

 [CAIISTENS, ASMUS JACOB], and another young artist named Cabot. 



At Rome, Weinbrenner soon became conscious that, in order to 

 prove a profitable one, the study he had imposed upon himself required 

 system and perseverance, and also more historical and antiquarian 

 knowledge than he then possessed. The time that was not occupied 

 in examining and drawing buildings was devoted to literary research 

 and books ; yet not entirely, for the state of his finances compelled 

 him to earn something to provide for his immediate wants, which he 

 did by giving instruction in architecture. Many strangers of distinc- 

 tion then at Rome took lessons of him, and, among the rest, Prince 

 Augustus of England (the late Duke of Sussex). Weinbrentier re- 

 mained at Rome till 1797, with the exception of a considerable interval 

 spent by him at Naples. On returning to Carlsruhe, he found a very 

 promising opening for his talents. Besides being almost immediately 

 appointed ' Bau-iuspector,' he had early opportunities of displaying 

 his professional ability in the erection of the new synagogue and one 

 or two private mansions. Notwithstanding this favourable commence- 

 ment, he gave up his appointment two years afterwards, and went to 

 settle at Strasbourg, where his wife's relations (Margaretha Arnold, 

 whom he had shortly before married) resided, and were many of them 

 aitists. The change however proved an imprudent one ; Strasbourg 

 became menaced by hostilities, and he found himself without other 

 occupation or resource than teaching a few pupils. At this juncture 

 he was invited by the Hanoverian government, through the recom- 

 mendation of Prince Augustus, to inspect and improve the prisons of 

 that country, but being invited to resume his former appointment at 

 Carlsruho, though the immediate emoluments were inconsiderable 

 not above a quarter of what he would have had at Hanover he resolved 

 to accept it, as there seemed to be upon the whole a fairer prospect of 

 his signalising himself in his profession. Nor had he reason afterwards 

 to repent of the choice he made, for from that period he was constantly 

 employed on various improvements and embellishments in the capital 



