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Bel Geddes, Norman

(Encyclopedia)Bel Geddes, Norman gĕdˈēz [key], 1893–1958, American designer, b. Adrian, Mich. as Norman Melancton Geddes. He began his career in 1918 as a scene designer for the Metropolitan Opera. He became k...

Reinhardt, Django

(Encyclopedia)Reinhardt, Django (Jean Baptiste Reinhardt), 1910–53, Belgian jazz guitarist of Romani (Gypsy) descent. Reinhardt began playing the guitar professionally at 12. He was severely burned in a fire in 1...

Richter, Johann Paul Friedrich

(Encyclopedia)Richter, Johann Paul Friedrich rĭkhˈtər [key], pseud. Jean Paul, 1763–1825, German novelist. He studied theology at the Univ. of Leipzig and later taught in that city. His novels combine the ide...

von der Leyen, Ursula

(Encyclopedia)von der Leyen, Ursula, 1958–, German politician, b. Brussels, Belgium, as Ursula Albrecht. She studied economics and medicine, worked (1988–92) at Hanover Medical School's (MHH) gynecological clin...

Soissons

(Encyclopedia)Soissons swäsôNˈ [key], city (1990 pop. 32,144), Aisne dept., N France, on the Aisne River. It is an agricultural and industrial center. Soissons was an old Roman town and early episcopal see. Its ...

French art

(Encyclopedia)French art, the artistic production of the region that constitutes the historic nation of France. See also French architecture. The innovations of postimpressionism, combined with the influence of C...

Dada

(Encyclopedia)Dada däˈdäĭzəm [key], international nihilistic movement among European artists and writers that lasted from 1916 to 1922. Born of the widespread disillusionment engendered by World War I, it orig...

Marois, Pauline

(Encyclopedia)Marois, Pauline pōlēnˈ märwäˈ [key], 1949–, Canadian politician, b. Quebec. A social worker and Parti Québécois (PQ) member, she was first elected to the Quebec National Assembly in 1981, an...

Martin, Paul Edgar Philippe, Jr.

(Encyclopedia)Martin, Paul Edgar Philippe, Jr., 1938–, Canadian politician, prime minister (2003–6) of Canada, b. Windsor, Ont. The scion of a politically active family (his father served in parliament and ran ...

kinetic art

(Encyclopedia)kinetic art, term referring to sculptured works that include motion as a significant dimension. The form was pioneered by Marcel Duchamp, Naum Gabo, and Alexander Calder. Kinetic art is either nonmech...