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Perlman, Itzhak

(Encyclopedia)Perlman, Itzhak, 1945–, Israeli musician, one of the greatest violinists of his generation, b. Tel Aviv. A child prodigy, he gave a solo violin recital at age ten, appeared on American television in...

figurehead

(Encyclopedia)figurehead, carved decoration usually representing a head or figure placed under the bowsprit of a ship. The art is of extreme antiquity. Ancient galleys and triremes carried rostrums, or beaks, on th...

Herculaneum

(Encyclopedia)Herculaneum hərkyəlāˈnēəm [key], ancient city of S Italy, on the gulf of Naples at the foot of Mt. Vesuvius. Damaged by an earthquake in a.d. 63, it was completely buried, along with Pompeii, by...

Pisano, Andrea

(Encyclopedia)Pisano, Andrea ändrĕˈä pēzäˈnō [key], c.1290–c.1348, Italian sculptor, also called Andrea da Pontedera. His most important work, the first bronze doors of the baptistery in Florence, was beg...

Canosa di Puglia

(Encyclopedia)Canosa di Puglia känôˈzä dē po͞oˈlyä [key], Lat. Canusium, city, Apulia, S It...

Rush, William

(Encyclopedia)Rush, William, 1756–1833, American sculptor, one of the earliest in the country, b. Philadelphia. His wood carvings, clay models, and figureheads were famous in their day. Of his other works, carved...

Bjørndalen, Ole Einar

(Encyclopedia)Bjørndalen, Ole Einar, 1974–, Norwegian biathlete, generally regarded as the greatest champion in the history of the biathlon, a combination of cross-country skiing and target-shooting. He competed...

Segal, George

(Encyclopedia)Segal, George, 1924–2000, American sculptor, b. New York City, grad. Rutgers (B.A., 1950; M.A., 1963). An influential member of the pop art movement, Segal is known for his tableaux of life-sized ca...

Riesener, Jean Henri

(Encyclopedia)Riesener, Jean Henri zhäN äNrēˈ rēzənĕrˈ [key], 1734–1806, French cabinetmaker, one of the major artists who made important contributions to the formation of the Louis XVI style in France. B...

fencing

(Encyclopedia)fencing, sport of dueling with foil, épée, and saber. Swords have been in use since the Bronze Age, and nearly all people of antiquity practiced swordsmanship. Fencing as a contest has existed at ...