was born at Paris
in 1726. His passion for art prevailed over his father's wish, and he
became in his twelfth year a pupil of Vanloo. Making rapid progress, he
obtained at twenty the Grand Prix, and in 1748 set out for Rome. He
studied the works of Annibale Caracci, Cortona, Giulio Romano and
Michelangelo, then visited Naples, Venice, Bologna and other Italian
cities, and in 1755 returned to Paris. At first unappreciated and
disparaged, he resolved by one grand effort to conquer a reputation, and
in 1758 he exhibited his "Death of Virginia." It was completely
successful, and procured him admission to the Academy. Among his
greatest works are reckoned the "Miracle des Ardents," painted for the
church of St Genevieve at St Roch (1773); the "Triumph of Thetis," for
the chapel of the Invalides; and the "Death of St Louis," for the chapel
of the Military School. In 1776 he was appointed professor at the
Academy of Painting. Soon after the beginning of the Revolution he
accepted the invitation of Catherine II. and settled at St Petersburg,
where he was loaded with honours and rewards. He died there on the 5th
of June 1806.

DOYLE, SIR ARTHUR CONAN (1859- ), English novelist, eldest son of the
artist Charles Doyle, was born on the 22nd of May 1859. He was sent to
Stonyhurst College, and further pursued his education in Germany, and at
Edinburgh University where he graduated M.B. in 1881 and M.D. in 1885.
He had begun to practise as a doctor in Southsea when he published _A
Study in Scarlet_ in 1887. _Micah Clarke_ (1888), a tale of Monmouth's
rebellion, _The Sign of Four_ (1889), and _The White Company_ (1891), a
romance of Du Guesclin's time, followed. In _Rodney Stone_ (1896) he
drew an admirable sketch of the prince regent; and he collected a
popular series of stories of the Napoleonic wars in _The Exploits of
Brigadier Gerard_ (1896). In 1891 he attained immense popularity by _The
Adventures of Sherlock Holmes_, which first appeared in _The Strand
Magazine_. These ingenious stories of the success of the imperturbable
Sherlock Holmes, who had made his first appearance in _A Study in
Scarlet_ (1887), in detecting crime and disentangling mystery, found a
host of imitators. The novelist himself returned to his hero in _The
Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes_ (1893), _The Hound of the Baskervilles_
(1902), and _The Return of Sherlock Holmes_ (1905). His later books
include numerous novels; plays, _The Story of Waterloo_ (1894),