Page:Imperialdictiona02eadi Brandeis.pdf/670

GIO fleur de lis in honour of the alleged discovery of Gioja. Of his life we have no account, and his name is known to us solely in connection with the discovery of the properties of the magnetic needle as above alluded to.—W. W. E. T.  GIOJA,, born at Piacenza in 1767. His father gave him a very liberal education, first in the schools of San Pietro at Piacenza, then in the Collegio Alberoni, and destined him to the church. Gioja devoted himself in the latter institution, in which he spent nine years, to the study of inductive philosophy and mathematics; and after taking holy orders, he continued privately to apply himself to his favourite pursuits with such an ardent love of knowledge, that he used to sleep only a few hours in the afternoon, passing the whole night at his books. His first publications, although of temporary interest, were highly successful. He settled at Milan in 1797, and embracing the principles of the Revolution, was created historiographer of the state, and subsequently director of the new office of statistics, under the home department. In 1811 he was intrusted with the work of compiling, through the help of local agents in the different provinces, a general statistical account of the state; a task in which he displayed extraordinary activity. After the fall of Napoleon in 1814, Gioja resumed his studies in retirement, and commenced publishing numerous works on social and philosophical subjects. In all of these he exhibits much practical sense, a wide acquaintance with facts, and an analytical power of classification, which places him among the most distinguished social philosophers of modern Italy. His materialistic tendencies, however, his utilitarian views, and the arithmetical character of his treatment of moral and political matters, leave his works open to many objections. He was a great admirer of Bentham. In spite of his errors in moral philosophy, Gioja gave a signal impulse to the development of political economy and social science in Italy; he associated with the doctrines of the Italian school those of the English economists, particularly of Adam Smith, and he popularized the subject of the "association of labour." Another important matter, which he treated in a noble spirit of devotion to the civil improvement of man, was that of social merits and rewards (Del Merito e delle Ricompense). His "Nuovo Galateo," in which he assigns to external habits and manners their true value as connected with the development of the moral nature, is also a very interesting and popular work. His incessant application to study brought on a severe illness, which resulted fatally in 1829. His principal works, besides those above named, are—"Teoria civile del divorzio," &c., 1803; "Tavole Statistiche," 1808; "Nuovo prospetto delle Scienze Economiche," &c., 1815-19, six vols.; "Elementi di Filosofia," 1818; "Dell' ingiuria e dei danni," &c., 1820; "Ideologia," 1822; "Filosofia della Statistica," 1826.—A. S., O.  GIORDANI,, a musician, was a native of Italy. He came to England early in life, and resided so many years in this country that he was at length almost as well acquainted with the English language, and the English style of music, as any individual of his time. In the year 1779 he entered into a speculation with Leoni the singer, by taking the theatre in Chapel Street, Dublin, for the performance of operas, in which the whole of the musical department was to be under his management. This connection was continued about four years, Giordani composing the music, and Leoni superintending the stage department. Improvident engagements, and an indifferent season, at last brought bankruptcy upon the musicians, and the theatre passed into other hands. Giordani from this time continued to reside in Dublin as a teacher of music, where he had several pupils of distinction. His Italian operas possess a considerable degree of merit, and in general were well received. The best known are "Antigona," "Artaserse," and "Il Baccio." He composed several English operas, performed at Dublin, besides sonatas and other pieces for the pianoforte, many of which had a great sale. He also composed an oratorio, "Isaac," which does not appear to have been printed.—E. F. R.  GIORDANI or GIORDANO,, a Neapolitan mathematician, was born at Bitonto on the 13th of December, 1633. He was intended for the ecclesiastical profession, but he eloped with a beautiful girl of humble origin, whom he married. After living a short time with his wife's family, he happened to kill one of his brothers-in-law in a brawl, and for safety fled to Venice, where he entered as a common seaman in the fleet about to be sent against the Turks. Having distinguished himself in action, he was appointed secretary to the admiral; and while holding that office applied himself diligently to the study of mathematics. In 1659 he quitted the Venetian service and went to Rome, where he enlisted in the papal guards. Soon afterwards, the eccentric Queen Christina, becoming aware of his talents, named him her mathematician; and through her influence he was appointed, in 1666, teacher of mathematics in the college for artists, which was founded in that year at Rome by Louis XIV. In 1672 he was appointed engineer of the castle of St. Angelo; and in 1685 professor of mathematics in the college of the Sapienza. He wrote a course of mathematics, a work called "Euclide Restituto," and a treatise on the fall of heavy bodies. He died at Rome in 1711.—W. J. M. R.  GIORDANO,, Cavaliere, was born at Naples in 1632, and died there honoured and wealthy in 1705. He commenced painting under Ribera, commonly called Spagnoletto, then studied under Pietro da Cortona at Rome, and became at Venice an imitator of Paul Veronese. He could imitate the style of most masters, and acquired such extraordinary facility of execution that he went by the nickname of "Luca fa presto." A different origin, however, is by some assigned to the name. He had the same facility whether in oil or in fresco—a few days sufficed for the painting of a large altarpiece. His style combines the general ease and character of the works of Pietro da Cortona with much of the force of light and shade of Spagnoletto. Luca Giordano spent twelve years in Spain in the service of Charles II., by whom he was knighted. His pictures are exceedingly numerous, but more especially at Naples, where he survived to enjoy the reputation of the greatest painter of his age. Posterity has not confirmed the opinion of his contemporaries. His works are often prodigiously clever, but are at the same time purely mechanical; they want sentiment and refinement of every kind. He has executed some clever etchings.—(Dominici, Vite dei Pittori Napoletani, &c.)—R. N. W.  GIORGI,, born at Santo Mauro, near Rimini, in 1711. He entered the Augustinian order at Bologna, and taught theology with great success in various places. His controversy with Paulin de Saint Barthelemy respecting the religion of the Brahmins attracted great notice. He was acquainted with eleven languages; and published a work entitled "Alphabetum Thibetanum," &c., in the composition of which he made good use of the library of the Propaganda. He died at Rome on the 4th of May, 1797.—A. C. M.  GIORGIANI. See.  GIORGIO,, an Italian painter, sculptor, and architect of Siena, where he was born in 1439. His family name was Martini. He appears to have commenced as a painter, but afterwards neglected this art for sculpture and architecture. He was painting in 1470-75; the gallery of Siena contains a picture of the last date, signed "Franciscus Giorgio." But it was as an architect that he was most celebrated, according to Vasari; and he was much employed by the duke of Urbino from 1477 as a military engineer. He was the author of a treatise on architecture and engineering, "Trattato d'architettura civile e militare," published in Turin in 1841, with a life of Francesco by Carlo Promis. Francesco is reputed to be the inventor of the modern military mine, first applied at Naples in 1495, in the Castel' dell' Nuovo. He was employed as architect and engineer in many other cities in Italy as well as Urbino; and when he returned to Siena he was made architect of the municipality, and he twice served in the government of the republic, in 1485 and 1493. He died in retirement near Siena about 1506, aged sixty-seven.—(Vasari.)—R. N. W. <section end="670H" /> <section begin="670Zcontin" />GIORGIONE, the name by which is commonly known, from his large handsome person, equivalent to big George in English. He was born at or near Castelfranco in 1477, the same year in which Titian was born, and they were pupils together in the school of Giovanni Bellini at Venice. Giorgione settled in Venice, and by way of advertisement painted the façade of his house in fresco. This procured him other work of the kind, as some works on the outside of the German warehouse of Venice, known as the Fondaco dei Tedeschi. Giorgione and Titian were till this time good friends, and it appeared that Giorgione employed his friend to assist him in these frescoes. When, however, Giorgione had been complimented for the excellence of a portion which had been executed by Titian, a jealousy was engendered between them, and they became eventually rivals. Giorgione's early works were stiff and <section end="670Zcontin" />