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La Harpe, Jean François de

(Encyclopedia)La Harpe, Jean François de lä ärp [key], 1739–1803, French critic. He was the author of the monumental Cours de littérature ancienne et moderne, lectures he delivered after his appointment (178...

La Tour, Maurice Quentin de

(Encyclopedia)La Tour, Maurice Quentin de də lä to͞or [key], 1704–88, French portraitist working in pastel. From 1737 to 1773 he exhibited at the Salon portraits of considerable technical virtuosity and psych...

La Mettrie, Julien Offray de

(Encyclopedia)La Mettrie, Julien Offray de zhülyăNˈ ôfrāˈ də lä mĕtrēˈ [key], 1709–51, French physician and philosopher. On the basis of personal observation he claimed that psychical activity is purel...

Manley, Mary de la Rivière

(Encyclopedia)Manley, Mary de la Rivière, 1663–1724, English author, one of the first women to earn a living by writing. Notorious because of her marriage to her cousin, who was already married and who later des...

Martínez de la Rosa, Francisco

(Encyclopedia)Martínez de la Rosa, Francisco fränthēsˈkō märtēˈnĕth dā lä rōˈsä [key], 1787–1862, Spanish dramatic poet, statesman, and historian. He was an outspoken liberal professor of philosophy...

Gómez de la Serna, Ramón

(Encyclopedia)Gómez de la Serna, Ramón rämōnˈ gōˈmāth dā lä sĕrˈnä [key], 1888–1963, Spanish novelist, biographer, and critic, b. Madrid. One of the most prolific and imaginative of modern Spanish wr...

Juana Inés de la Cruz

(Encyclopedia)Juana Inés de la Cruz hwäˈnä ēnāsˈ dā lä kro͞os [key], 1651–95, Mexican poet. She is considered the greatest lyric poet of the colonial period. A beautiful and intellectually precocious gi...

de la Madrid Hurtado, Miguel

(Encyclopedia)de la Madrid Hurtado, Miguel dā lä mäᵺrēᵺˈ o͞ortäᵺˈō [key], 1934–2012, Mexican public official, president of Mexico (1982–88). As minister of planning and budget in the cabinet of J...

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