Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

500 results found

Ionesco, Eugène

(Encyclopedia)Ionesco, Eugène özhĕnˈ yŏnĕsˈkō [key], 1912–94, French playwright, b. Romania. Settling in France in 1938, he contributed to Cahiers du Sud and began writing avant-garde plays. His works str...

Mendès, Catulle

(Encyclopedia)Mendès, Catulle kätülˈ mäNdĕsˈ [key], 1841–1909, French poet, critic, and novelist of the Parnassian school. He founded (1861) the Revue fantaisiste, contributed to the Parnasse contemporain,...

undine

(Encyclopedia)undine əndēnˈ, ŭnˈdēn [key], in folklore, female water sprite who could acquire a soul by marrying a human being. If, however, her lover proved unfaithful, she had to return to the sea. The lege...

Edelinck, Gérard

(Encyclopedia)Edelinck, Gérard zhārärˈ ādəlăNkˈ [key], 1640–1707, French engraver, b. Antwerp. He is known for his faithful interpretations of the work of Raphael, Le Brun, Champaigne, and other masters a...

Harahan

(Encyclopedia)Harahan hârˈəhănˌ [key], city (2020 pop. 9,116), Jefferson parish, SE La., a suburb of New ...

Stevens, Alfred Émile

(Encyclopedia)Stevens, Alfred Émile, 1823–1906, Belgian portrait and genre painter. He often lived in Paris and exhibited there regularly. His chief subjects, painted with admirable technique and color, were soc...

Bastrop

(Encyclopedia)Bastrop băsˈtrŏpˌ [key], city (2020 pop. 9,711), seat of Morehouse parish, NE La.; founded ...

Calcasieu

(Encyclopedia)Calcasieu kălˈkəso͞o [key], river c.200 mi (320 km) long, rising in W central La. and flowing S through Lake Charles and Calcasieu Lake to the Gulf of Mexico. The river, which is partly navigable,...

Bontemps, Arna

(Encyclopedia)Bontemps, Arna, 1902–73, African-American writer, b. Alexandria, La. He is best remembered as the author of the novel God Sends Sunday (1931), the basis of the play St. Louis Woman (1946); and of Bl...

Olmedo, José Joaquin

(Encyclopedia)Olmedo, José Joaquin hōsāˈ wäkēnˈ ōlmāˈᵺō [key], 1780–1847, Ecuadorian statesman and poet. An ambassador to Paris and London after Ecuador's independence, Olmedo gained renown for his o...

Browse by Subject