Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 13.djvu/653

 SCHRAUDOLPH

591

SCHUBERT

was ordained priest in December, 1774, and gained his doctorate of theology in 1776. Having returned to his native place, he published his first studies in natu- ral history; "Beitrage zur Naturgeschichte " (1776). In the same year he was called to the chair of mathe- matics and physics at the lyceum at Amberg and afterwards to that of rhetoric at Burghausen. Here he found an opportunity of studying agriculture. In 1784, he became professor of agriculture, mining, for- estry, botany, and zoology at the University of Ingol- stadt (later re- moved to Land- shut). In 1809 the Munich Acad- emy of Sciences elected him a member on the condition of his undertaking the direction of the newly-established botanical garden. To this task he devoted the rest of his life. Pos- sessed of compre- hensive knowl- edge and keen judgment, he was highly esteemed and received many public marks of honour and distinction.

Franz de Paula Schrank

From a portrait in the Bibliothfique Na-

tionale, Pari.s, engraved by F. John

Acting several times as rector during the years of his professorship at Ingolstadt and Landshut, he had on many occasions to defend the interests of the univer- sity during the P'rench and Austrian occupations.

Schrank's activity as a writer is really astonishing. We know of more than forty original works and about two hundred dissertations and shorter studies from his pen. His excellent descriptions of flora are distin- guished by originality, clear presentation, and logical classification. The following works are especially worthy of note: "Bayerische Flora" (Munich, 1789); "Primitiae florae salisburgensis " (Frankfurt, 1792); and above all, "Flora monacensis" (Munich, 1811- 1820), with four hundred coloured plates by Joh. Nepo- mucene Mayrhofer. Not less valuable are the fruits of his scientific travels partly undertaken under the auspices and at the expense of the Munich Academy of Sciences. Among these are to be mentioned: Fr. von Paula Schrank and R. C. Moll, " Naturhistorische Briefe liber Oesterreich, Salsburg, Passau, und Berg- tesgaden" (Salzburg, 1785), and "Reise nach den siidlichen Gebirgen von Bayern, etc., im Jahr 1788" (Munich, 1793). In these expeditions Schrank took Linnajus's travels for the study of natural history as his model. Among his physiological works must be mentioned his study: "Von den Nebengefassen der Pflanzen und ihrem Nutzen" (Halle, 1794), in which he attributes to the hairs of plants the function of ab- sorbing moisture; and some essays in the "Miin- chener Denkschriften " for 1809-1810 on the move- ment of infusoria, and on "Priestley's green matter", etc. His extensive correspondence, as director of the botanical garden, with all countries of Europe and the East and West Indies redounded to the benefit of this institution, which under his administration became one of the richest in Germany. To this botanical garden he dedicated a work in two folio volumes with 100 coloured plates: "Plantae rariores horti acade- mici Monacensis descriptse et iconibus illustratae" (1819). His numerous detached studies on questions of natural history may be found in "Miinchener Denkschriften", "Zeitschrift der Regensburger bo- tanischen Gesellschaft", "Hoppe's botaniscbes Ta-

schenbuch", etc. In the last days of his life the in- defatigable veteran wrote two Scriptural works: 'E^rifiepov, a physico-theological explanation of the six days of creation (Augsburg, 1829, 16 pp., 8°) and a voluminous " Commentarius literalis in Genesim" (Salzbach, 1835, 796 pp. 8°). The list of von Schrank's works fiUs nine columns in the "Biblio- theque des ecrivains de la compagnie de Jesus" (1859).

Martins, Akad. Denkreden (1866); de Backer, Bibl. des ecrivains de la compagnie de Jesus, V' serie (Lidge, 1859), a. v.

J. Stein.

Schraudolph, Johann, historical painter, b. at Oberstdorf in the Allgau, 1808; d. 31 May, 1879. As pupil and assistant of Heinrich Hess he painted five scenes from the Ufe of St. Boniface in the basilica at Munich: St. Boniface preaching; his consecration as bishop; the cutting down of Thor's oak; the anointing of Pepin; and the burial of St. Boniface. In these frescoes Schraudolph justified the confidence placed in him by his master who had already tested his work in the Church of All Saints where Schrau- dolph had painted scenes from the history of Moses, figures of David, Saul, etc. Some of his devotional pictures became very popular: the Virgin with the Child Jesus; St. Agnes; Christ as the Friend of chil- dren; a eucharistic service, etc. His carefully- executed sketches for the life of St. Boniface were greatly admired by fellow artists. On the recommen- dation of Hess he received an important commission from Louis I, namely the painting of the frescoes for the cathedral of Speyer. Although he had already travelled once through Italy under the guidance of J. Ant. Forster and had made numerous copies of the old masters, yet he considered it necessary to make a new journey to Rome and Over beck for the sake of this, the great work of his life. Unfor- tunately in his studies he laid more stress on grace and tenderness than upon force and depth. Con- sequently the lack of the two last mentioned quali- ties is perceptible in his frescoes for the austere and stately imperial cathedral, while correctness, harmony, and a devout spirit are unmistakably present in the large compositions. He made sure of the unity of the series by keeping his assistants (his brother Claudius, Hellweger, Andr. Mayer, etc.) in strict subordination to himself, by retaining for himself the designing of all the compositions for the cupola, the three choirs, and most of those for the nave, by drawing the most important cartoons and painting the most difficult pictures himself. The unifying con- ception of all the frescoes is: the Divine plan of salva- tion with special reference to the Blessed Virgin and the other patron saints of the cathedral, the deacon Stephen, Pope St. Stephen, and St. Bernard. After the completion of this undertaking Schraudolph enjoyed the unchanging favour of the king, who frequently inspected the numerous oil-paintings pro- duced in Schraudolph's studio, and at times bought them for himself or the Pinakothek.

Forster, Gesch, der deutschen Kunst, V (Leipzig, 1860) ; Idem, on the frescoes in the cathedral of Speyer in the Deutsches Kunst- blatt, no. 15 (Leipzig, 1883) ; Stubenvoll, Beschreibung der Miinchener Basilika (Munich, 1875); Pecht, Gesch. der Miin- chener Kunst (Munich, 1888).

G. GlETMANN.

Schubert, Franz, composer, b. at Vienna, 31 Janu- ary, 1797; d. there 19 November, 1829. He studied under his father, and subsequently under Holzer and Salieri, and in 1807, was first boy soprano in the Lichtenthal choir. In October, 1808, he entered the Imperial Choristers School, and soon gave evidence of extraordinary musical genius as a composer, his first effort being a pianoforte duet, early in 1810. During 1811 and 1812 he produced many instrumental

f)ieces, also a "Salve Regina" and a "Kyrie". He eft the Choir School in November, 1812, and took up