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Peerce, Jan

(Encyclopedia)Peerce, Jan, 1904–85, American tenor, b. New York City as Jacob Pincus Perelmuth. Discovered by Arturo Toscanini, who chose him to be a soloist in a performance of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, Peerce...

Masaryk, Jan

(Encyclopedia)Masaryk, Jan yän mäˈsärĭk [key], 1886–1948, Czechoslovak diplomat, son of Thomas G. Masaryk. He was (1925–38) Czechoslovak minister to Great Britain, and in London he became (1940) foreign mi...

Kasprowicz, Jan

(Encyclopedia)Kasprowicz, Jan yän käsprôˈvēch [key], 1860–1926, Polish poet. His writings progressed from social revolt (e.g., From a Peasant's Field, 1891) to poems of spiritual struggle and philosophical i...

Kubelík, Jan

(Encyclopedia)Kubelík, Jan yän ko͞oˈbəlĭk [key], 1880–1940, Czech violinist. Kubelík studied with Otakar Ševčik at the Prague Conservatory. He made his debut in Vienna in 1898 and was thereafter internat...

Kochanowski, Jan

(Encyclopedia)Kochanowski, Jan yän kôkhänôfˈskē [key], 1530–84, esteemed as the greatest poet of the Polish Renaissance. Kochanowski assimilated the poetic traditions of Italy and France and created new rhy...

Kollár, Jan

(Encyclopedia)Kollár, Jan yän kōˈlär [key], 1793–1852, Slovak poet who wrote in Czech. A Protestant minister, he was an ardent proponent of Pan-Slavism. He promoted his ideas in a famous essay on Slavonic cu...

Štursa, Jan

(Encyclopedia)Štursa, Jan yän shto͝orˈsä [key], 1880–1925, Czech sculptor. His early work shows the influence of Rodin. Among his works are The Melancholy Girl, Primavera, Eve, and a monument to Hana Kvapilo...

Swammerdam, Jan

(Encyclopedia)Swammerdam, Jan yän väˈmərdäm [key], 1637–80, Dutch naturalist. He was a pioneer in the use of the microscope. Before he turned to religious contemplation his chief interest was the study of in...

Wijnants, Jan

(Encyclopedia)Wijnants, Jan: see Wynants, Jan.

Vermeer, Jan

(Encyclopedia)Vermeer, Jan or Johannes vərmērˈ, Dutch yän vərmārˈ, yōhänˈəs [key], 1632–75, Dutch genre and landscape painter. He was born in Delft, where he spent his entire life. He was also known as...