Page:Imperial Dictionary of Universal Biography Volume 1.pdf/139

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others by M. Gieseke, who had been able to trace the whereabouts of his lost Greenland collection, and who professed himself well satisfied with the hands into which it had accidentally fallen. Several contributions were made by Allan to the Transactions of the Royal Society, on geology as well as mineralogy. His only separate work is on the nomenclature of minerals. He wrote the article "Diamond," in the Encyclopedia Britannica. Died 12th September, 1833.—J. B.

ALLAN, Sir William, R.A. and P.R.S.A., a distinguished painter, born at Edinburgh in 1782. He studied at the High School, and early displayed inclination to become an artist; was apprenticed to a coach painter, and became a fellow-student of David Wilkie and John Burnet at the Trustees' Academy, under Graham. After serving his time, he removed for additional study to London, and finding little encouragement there as a painter, he boldly started for Russia, as a new field. Driven by a storm to Memel, on the Prussian coast, he soon obtained employment at portraiture, and with increased funds journeyed to St. Petersburg and the Ukraine, where he profitably remained ten years, accumulating materials for his principal pictures. Before returning home in 1814, he beheld many episodes of warfare with the invading French army. His "Circassian Captives," exhibited next year, secured attention, and was purchased by subscription. The late Russian emperor, Nicholas, obtained Allan's "Polish Exiles journeying to Siberia," a work of simple impressive dignity and pathos, and afterwards commissioned his "Peter the Great teaching Shipbuilding." Numerous other successful works followed:—The Murder of Archbishop Sharpe, Knox reproving Queen Mary, Rizzio, Death of Regent Murray, Slave Market in Constantinople, the Pressgang, Walter Scott at Abbotsford, The Orphan, Burns, Tartar Banditti, Haslan Gherai crossing the Kuban, Jewish Wedding, Fah Maid of Perth, The Widow, Humanity of Robert Bruce, Death of Colonel Gardiner at Prestonpans, Waterloo, purchased by the duke of Wellington, and a companion picture, for the Westminster competition in 1844. Foreign travel was frequently resorted to, for study and for restoration of health. Italy, Spain, Barbary, Turkey, Greece, Russia, and Belgium were thus visited. In 1839, Allan became president of the Royal Scottish Academy. Love for Circassian subjects, and his adventurous life among the Tartars, never quitted him, and he had formed a valuable museum. "Bannockburn" was the last great subject to which he returned, but before completing it he died of bronchitis, unmarried, February 23, 1850. He was buried in the Dean Cemetery, Edinburgh; Lord Jeffrey, David Scott, and Professor Wilson he near his grave. Allan was pre-eminently an historical painter, and few have equalled the skill and ease, or dramatic vigour, with which he represents an incident. He is never unintelligible. The clear healthy mind of the man is apparent in his paintings; his well-balanced powers, his indomitable perseverance and shrewd sense, with an appreciation of beauty, romantic wildness, and unvulgarized character, that prevented him from degenerating into either insipidity or extravagance. In private life, and as a teacher, he secured the devoted love of all who knew him. His dry humour and active benevolence will long be remembered. His sympathies were always manly, generous, and patriotic. His position in the literary circles of Edinburgh was beneficial to Scottish art. Most of his paintings are in choice collections, and have been well engraved.—J. W. E.

ALLANTSEE or ALANTSEE, Leonhard and Lucas, flourished as publishers in Vienna about a.d. 1500.

ALLARD or ALLÆRD, the name of several engravers of Holland, who lived during the last two centuries.

ALLARD, Guy, a French historian and genealogist, was born at Grenoble in 1645. He became a member of the parliament of Grenoble, and died in 1716, leaving a number of works on the history of Dauphiné and its principal families.

ALLARDI, Pierre Gilbert Leroi, Baron d', a French financier, was born at Montluçon in 1749. He opposed the projects of Necker and of Maury, and, having survived the storms of the Revolution, died in 1809 at Besançon.

ALLART, Mary Gay, a literary lady of France; died 1821.

ALLATIUS, Leo, a learned Greek of the island of Scio, where he was born in 1586. Embracing the Roman catholic faith, he became librarian of the Vatican under Pope Alexander VII. Died in 1669. Allatius is the author of an immense number of commentaries and classical editions; and being vehemently orthodox, he wrote a good deal on theology. He is fabled to have used but one pen during forty years. Among his principal works are: "Philo-Byzantius de Septem Mundi Spectaculis," with a Latin translation, Rome, 1640, 8vo; "Salustii Philosophi Opusculum de Diis et Mundo, cum notis Holstenii," Rome, 1638, 12mo; "Confutatio Fabulæ de Joanna Papissa, ex Monumentis Græcis," a refutation of the slanderous fable concerning Pope Joan.—A. M.

ALLE, Geronimo, an Italian monk of Bologna, who flourished in the first half of the seventeenth century, and became famous as an orator and poet.

ALLECTUS, a favourite of Carausius, whom he assassinated, and usurped the sovereignty of Britain. Constantius Chlorus, the father of the Emperor Constantine, equipped two fleets in Gaul against him, and having succeeded in landing his forces on the British coasts, Allectus, whom the natives detested, was abandoned by the greater part of his followers, and perished in battle about a.d. 296.—J. W. S.

ALLEGRAIN, Christophe, a French sculptor of the eighteenth century, the son of a distinguished landscape painter (A. Etienne). Although endowed with great talent, he did not always succeed in freeing himself from the absurdities of mannerism. Two statues of "Venus" and "Diana" are considered his best works. Bore the title of sculptor to the king. He was born in Paris in 1710, where he died in 1795. Gabriel, his brother, was likewise an artist, and imitated the father in his landscape painting.—R. M.

ALLEGRANZA, Giuseppe, an archæologist of Milan, born in 1713, and died in 1785.

ALLEGRETTI, Allegretto degli, a councillor of the republic of Sienna, of which city he compiled the annals for the latter half of the fifteenth century.

ALLEGRETTI, Antonio, a Florentine poet of the 16th cent.

ALLEGRETTI, Carlo, an Italian painter of Monte Prandone, who lived in the earlier half of the seventeenth century.

ALLEGRETTI, Iago, of Forli, in Italy, lived in the thirteenth century, and was distinguished as a physician, an astrologer, a poet, and a grammarian.

ALLEGRI, Alessandro, an Italian poet noted for the purity of his style. He was born at Florence, studied at Pisa, became successively "scholar, courtier, soldier, and priest," and died about 1597. He was most eminent in satire and burlesque.

ALLEGRI, Antonio. See Corregio.

ALLEGRI, Geronimo, an alchemist of Verona, who became president of the Alethophilist academy in 1688.

ALLEGRI, Gregorio, a musical composer, born at Rome about the year 1580. He is best known as the author, along with Palestrina, of the music performed during the Holy week in the pope's chapel, to which he was admitted a singer by Pope Urban VIII. in 1629, having been a pupil in the school of Palestrina and Nanini, and afterwards an ecclesiastic holding a benefice in the cathedral of Fermo. The famous "Miserere," forming part of the service, of the overpowering effect of which we read so much in the notes of travellers, is his composition. Musicians tell us that its merit is not so high as these descriptions would lead us to suppose, but that great part of the effect is owing to the perfect performance, and to the grandeur and solemnity of the whole scene. Died in 1652.—J. B.

ALLEGRINI, Francesco, an Italian historical painter and decorator, was born at Gubbio in 1587, and studied at Rome under the Cavalier d'Arpino, whose style he followed with considerable success. Assisted by his son Flaminio, also a distinguished artist, he worked in the Vatican. Died 1663.—R. M.

ALLEIN, Joseph, a nonconformist divine, born at Devizes in 1633. He is the author of the well-known treatise, "An Alarm to the Unconverted." He died in 1668.

ALLEINE, Richard, born at Ditchet in Somersetshire in 1611, educated at Oxford, and after assisting his father in pastoral duties for some time, was in 1641 appointed to the living of Batcombe in Dorsetshire. He was, like many more, ejected at the Restoration, and died in 1681. He wrote several religious treatises, the best known among them being his "Vindiciæ Pietatis," London, 1664.—J. E.

ALLEMAND, George l', a French painter of the 17th century. He painted several pictures for the church of Notre Dame.

ALLEMAND, Jean Baptiste l', a French painter, who lived at Rome in the eighteenth century. He was pupil of Joseph Vernet. Some admirable frescos in the palace of Corsini were executed by him in 1750.