(John), a learned professor of philosophy and divinity at Duisburg, was born at Solingen in 1622. He travelled into Holland, France, and England, and in each country obtained the esteem of the learned. The elector of Brandenburg gave him public testimonies of his esteem. He died in 1665. His works were printed at Amsterdam in 2 vols 4to. The most celebrated of these is his treatise, entitled *Logica vetus et nova*, &c.

**CLAUDE OF LORRAINE**, or Claude Gellee, a celebrated landscape painter, and a striking example of the efficacy of industry to supply, or at least to call forth, genius. Claude was born in 1600; and being dull and heavy at school, was put apprentice to a pastrycook; he afterwards rambled to Rome to seek a livelihood; but being very ill-bred, and unacquainted with the language, no body cared to employ him. Chance threw him at last in the way of Augustino Trafico, who hired him to grind his colours, and to do all his household drudgery, as he kept no other servant. His master hoping to make him serviceable to him in some of his greatest works, taught him by degrees the rules of perspective and the elements of design. Claude at first did not know what to make of those principles of art; but being encouraged, and not failing in application, he came at length to understand them. Then his soul enlarged itself apace, and cultivated the art with wonderful eagerness. He exerted his utmost industry to explore the true principles of painting by an incessant examination of nature, that genuine source of excellence; for which purpose, he made his studies in the open fields; where he very frequently continued from sun rise till the dusk of the evening compelled him to withdraw himself from his contemplations. It was his custom to sketch whatever he thought beautiful or striking; and every curious tinge of light, on all kinds of objects, he marked in his sketches with a similar colour; from which he perfected his landscapes with such a look of real nature, and gave them such an appearance of truth, as proved superior to any artist that ever painted in that style.

The beauties of his paintings are derived from nature herself, which he examined with uncommon fidelity; and Sandrat relates, that Claude used to explain to him, as they walked through the fields, the causes of the different appearances of the same prospect at different hours of the day, from the reflections or refractions of light, from dews or vapours, in the evening or morning, with all the precision of a philosopher. He worked on his pictures with great care, endeavouring to bring them to perfection, by touching them frequently over again; and if any performance did not answer his idea, it was customary with him to alter, to deface, and repaint it again several times over, till it corresponded with that image pictured in his mind. But whatever struck his imagination, while he observed nature abroad, it was so strongly impressed on his memory, that on his return to his work, he never failed to make the happiest use of it.

His skies are warm and full of lustre, and every object is properly illumined. His distances are admirable, and in every part a delightful union and harmony not only excite our applause but our admiration. His invention is pleasing, his colouring delicate, and his tints have such an agreeable sweetness and variety, as have been but imperfectly imitated by the best subsequent artists, but were never equalled. He frequently gave an uncommon tenderness to his finished trees by glazing; and in his large compositions which he painted in fresco, he was so exact that the distinct species of every tree might readily be distinguished. As to his figures, if he painted them himself, they are very indifferent; and he was so conscious of his deficiency in this respect, that he usually engaged other artists who were eminent to paint them for him; of which number were Courtois and Philippo Laura. His pictures are now very rare, especially such as are undamaged; and those are at this time so valued, that no price, however great, is thought to be superior to their merit. In order to avoid a repetition of the same subject, and also to detect such copies of his works as might be injurious to his fame, by being sold for originals, it was his custom to draw (in a paper-book prepared for his purpose) the designs of all those pictures which were transmitted to different countries; and on the back of the drawings, he wrote the name of the person who had been the purchaser. That book, which he titled *Libro di Verita*, is now in the possession of the duke of Devonshire.