Giorgio Giulio, history and portrait painter, was born in Slavonia, in 1498. Having in the early part of his youth applied himself to literature, his genius prompted him to pursue the art of painting for a profession; and at 18 years of age he went to Rome, where he spent three years to perfect his hand in drawing, and devoted himself entirely to painting in miniature. His knowledge of colouring was established by the instructions of Julio Romano, and his taste of composition and design was founded on the observations he made on the works of Michael Angelo Buonaroti. By these affinities he arrived at such a degree of excellence in portrait as well as in history, that in the former he was accounted equal to Titian, and in the latter not inferior to Buonaroti. He died in 1578. His works are exceedingly valuable, and are at this day numbered among the curiosities of Rome. Vafari, who had seen the wonderful performances of Clovio, with inexpressible astonishment, enumerates many of his portraits and historical compositions, and seems to be almost at a loss for language sufficiently expressive of their merit. He mentions two or three pictures on which the artist had bestowed the labour of nine years; but the principal picture represented Nimrod, building the Tower of Babel; which was so exhaustively finished, and so perfect in all its parts, that it seemed quite inconceivable how the eye or the pencil could execute it. He says it is impossible to imagine anything so admirably curious; whether one considers the elegance of the attitudes, the richness of the composition, the delicacy of the naked figures, the perspective proportion of the objects, the tender distances, the scenery, the buildings, or other ornaments; for every part is beautiful and inimitable. He also takes notice of a single ant introduced in one of the pictures of this matter; which, though exceedingly and incredibly small, is yet so perfect, that even the most minute member was as distinct as if it had been painted of the natural size.

CLOVIS I. was the real founder of the French monarchy; for he was the first conqueror of the several provinces of Gaul, possessed before his time by the Romans, Germans, and Goths. These he united to the then scanty dominions of France, removed the seat of government from Soissons to Paris, and made this the capital of his new kingdom. He died in 511, in the 46th year of his age and 31st of his reign. See (Hist. of) France.