Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 16.djvu/422

* PRELLEB. 360 PREMISES. Eenaissanco, together with the mighty impulses received through tlic influence of Koch and the closest study of Claude and Poussin, fully de- veloped his powers. On a trip to Naples in 1830 he first conceived the idea of his life-work, the "Odyssey Landscapes.'' and there he also met Dr. Hiirtel. w ho was to give him the first oppor- tunity to realize his dream, by commissioning him in 183-2 to paint in his Roman house at Leipzig "Seven Scenes from the Odyssey" (1834). Landscape and figure elements appear there in their intimate relation, blended into an harmo- nious whole. Prellcr succeeded Meyer as profes- sor !it the school of drawing in 1832 and received at the same time the commission to execute "Six Thiiringian Landscapes with Historical Figures" for the ducal palace. There he also painted in tempera "Five Scenes from Oberon" (1834-39) in the Wieland room. Among the results of journeys to the isle of Rugen (1837 and 1839) ami to Norway (1840), the views of the sub- lime Norwegian coast scenery, well represented bv three specimens in the Weimar Museum, one ('1850) in the Dresden Gallery, and one (1853) in the Natiemal Gallery, Berlin, are especially noteworthy. More than twenty years elapsed before he found occasion to resume his favorite theme and to compose an enlarged version of the "Odyssey Landscapes" in sixteen charcoal draw- ings (1854-5(3. National Gallery, Berlin), which on their exhibition in Munich, 1858, produced an inunense impression. The monumental exe- cution of this cycle being secured by the Grand Duke Charles Alexander for the new Museum at Weimar, Preller started for Italy in 1859 to make new studies, which resulted in another modified series of si.xteen compositions, the ear- toons (18G0-(i3) having found a permanent place in the Leipzig ^Museum and the encaustic paint- ings, executed 1805-08, constituting one of the chief ornaments of the Weimar lIuseum. The cycle traverses Homer's entire narrative. In the meanwhile he had also painted the easel pic- tures of "Calypso" and "Leucothea" for the Schack Gallery in Munich, and of "Nausicaa" for the Raczynski Gallery in Berlin. Two fur- ther sojourns in Italy ( 1800 and 1875) occasioned another series of fine oil paintings, of which the "Rape of Nymphs by a Centaur" (1874) adorns, the Dresden Gallery and "Acqua Acetosa Near Rome" (1874) is the most remarkable. Preller also has twenty-eight plates of excellent etchings (1832-47) to his credit. Productive and planning to the last, he died, after a short illness, at Weimar, April 23. 1878, and was buried on his birthday. Consult: Atkinson, in Art Journal (London, 1881); Roquette. Friedrich Preller (Frankfort. 18831 : Pecht. Deutsche Kiinntler des neuuzehnteu Jnhrliunderts, i. (Niirdlingen, 1877); Reber, Genchichte der neueren deulschen Kunst, ii. (Leipzig. 1884) ; Rosenberg. Ge- schichte der modernen Kunst. ii. (ib., 1899) ; Schone, Friedrich Prellers Odysseelandschaften (ib., 1863) ; and Jordan, Die Odi/ssee in Prellers Darstclluun (ib.. 1873). PRELLER, Friedbich (the Younger) (1838- 1901). A German landscape painter, born at Weimar, the son. pupil, and worthy follower of Friedrich the Elder, whom he accompanied to Italy in 1859, He studied there until 1802, and again in 1804-66 in Rome. In 1807 he settled in Dresden, where he found a wider sphere for his activity and in 1880 became professor at the Academy. Developing into a fine colorist. he surpassed even his father in point of technique, and with predilection chose for his subjects scenes with historic associations, such as the "Gulf of Baja," the "Forum Romanum," "Mon- astery of Santa Scolastica, Near Subiaco" ( 1872, Dresden Gallery), "Landscape with Sappho" (1879, I^eipzig Museum),, and "Pieve di Cadore," the home of Titian (1880). His mural paintings of mythological and historic landscapes in the Albrechtsburg at Meissen (1878), in the Royal theatre, the Albertinum (1891). for which he made special studies in Greece in 1890. and in the university (1897), number among the best of their kind. PRELUDE (OP. prelude, Fr. prelude, from Lat. praludere, to play before, from pnv. before + ludere, to play). In music, a short preface or introduction to a more extended movement or composition, or to a dramatic performance or church service. It is in the same key with the selection which it is to introduce, and to which it is intended as a pi'eparation. For a long time the prelude constituted an essential portion of the older sonata and suites. In the seventeenth century Corelli in his Sonate da Camera intro- duced the custom of beginning all such works with prcludio in slow time; hence the introduc- tion (q.v.) in our modern sonatas and sym- phonies. The German composers developed tliis idea. In some of the suites of J. S. Bach the prelude is as important as any of the reguhir movements. When this master wrote the ir(/(- Tempered Clavichord he prefaced each fugue with a prelude. Bach's .,or(ian preludes are master- pieces, notably the magnificent one in E Hat introducing the Saint Ann's fugue. Mendelssohn followed Bach in his six Preludes and Fut/ues for piano (op. 35). Chopin wrote a book of preludes which rank among the most beautiful of his shorter compositions, but they are entirely inde- pendent compositions, complete in themselves. Richard Wagner, from the time of his writing Lohenf/rin, uses the word prelude (Vorspiel) instead of overture. He aimed to give in the orchestra introduction to his dramatic works either a complete synopsis of the drama or its fundamental idea. He has, indeed, done this also in his overtures to The Fli/ini) Dutehman and Tannhiiuser. Only in Lohenflrin does the prelude end with a complete cadence; in all the other works the prelude leads without a cadence directly into the first act. See Form ; OvERTl'RE. PREMILLENARI ANS. See Adventlsts ; MiLLE.N.xiuM; Miller, William. PREMISE (in logic). See Syllogism. PREMISES (OF. premisse, Fr. premisse, from JIL. j)r(rmissa. premise, fem. sg. of Lat. prcrniis- sus, p.p. of preemittere, to send before, put before, from prw, before + mittere, to send. Skt. mlr, to push). In law, 'premises' was originally em- ployed exclusively to describe the introductory part of any legal writing, which usually con- tains preliminary statements or descriptions, nec- essary to a complete understanding of the main body of an instrument, as the 'stating' part of a liill in equity, or the part of a deed which precedes the hdhendiim clause, and which contains a de- scription of the property conveyed. As a result of this custom of speaking of the description of