director, producer, screenwriterBorn: 1946Birthplace: Paris, France A multitalented figure in contemporary French cinema, he made some of the most influential and popular French films of the 1980s…
(Encyclopedia) Picard, Jean, 1620–82, French astronomer, noted for having made the first accurate measurement of a degree of the earth's meridian. The figures he established were of great value to…
(Encyclopedia) Castex, Jean, 1965–, French government official and political leader. A member of the center-right Republicans (and its predecessor, the Union for a Popular Movement), Castex has held…
(Encyclopedia) Liotard, Jean-ÉtienneLiotard, Jean-ÉtiennezhäN ātyĕnˈ lyôtärˈ [key], 1702–89, Swiss painter. He is best known for his portraits and drawings in pastel, but he also made portraits in…
(Encyclopedia) Fresnel, Augustin JeanFresnel, Augustin JeanōgüstăNˈ zhäN frānĕlˈ [key] 1788–1827, French physicist and engineer. He is known for his research on light, especially on conditions…
(Encyclopedia) Jouvenet, Jean BaptisteJouvenet, Jean BaptistezhäN bätēstˈ zh&oomacr;vənāˈ [key], 1644–1717, French painter, one of a family of painters. He worked in Paris in the studio of…
(Encyclopedia) Pigalle, Jean BaptistePigalle, Jean BaptistezhäN bätēstˈ pēgälˈ [key], 1714–85, French sculptor. His skill embraced a wide range, from small works appealing to the taste of the court…
(Encyclopedia) Nathan, George Jean, 1882–1958, American editor and drama critic, b. Fort Wayne, Ind. He left the New York Herald to join H. L. Mencken in editing Smart Set (1914–23), which they made…
(Encyclopedia) Duvalier, Jean-ClaudeDuvalier, Jean-ClaudezhäN-klōd [key]Duvalier, Jean-Claude düvälyāˈ [key], 1951–2014, president of Haiti (1971–86). At age 19, he was proclaimed “president for life…
(Encyclopedia) Marmontel, Jean FrançoisMarmontel, Jean FrançoiszhäN fräNswäˈ märmôNtĕlˈ [key], 1723–99, French critic, dramatist, and story writer, contributor to Diderot's Encyclopédie. Educated by…