WINCRELMANN, vinic'el-man, Johann Joachim, German archzolgist and art histo rian: b. Stendal, Prussia, 9 Dec. 1717; d. Trieste, Austria, 8 June 1768. The son of a poor cob bler he acquired his early schooling as charity pupil in his native town. He was graduated from a gymnasium at Berlin, and later studied theology at Halle. He next undertook the study of medicine at Jena, but was unable to complete the course because of lack of means aad for a number of years he was obliged to serve as private tutor and but in 1748 he was appointed by Count Heinrich von Binau secretary in his library at Nothnitz. near Dresden. In 1755 he joined the Roman Catho lic Church, and through the efforts of the papal nuncio at Dresden was enabled to visit Rome. Here he became librarian to Cardinal Archinto after whose death he entered the service of Cardinal Albani, an art connoisseur and col lector, and gave the public his ideas on an cient art. The more important of his works are der Kunst des Alterthums' (17641; and 'Monumenti antichi inediti' (170-68); with various sets of letters on the remains at Herculaneum and Pompeii. He was recognized as the leading authority in Eu rope in the field to which he had devoted him self In 1768 he revisited Germany, hut at Munich a longing for Italy so overmastered him that he determined to return. Going by
way of Vienna, he was well received there, and was presented to the Empress Maria Theresa, who bestowed rich presents on him. At the beginning of June he departed for Trieste. where, for the sake of the gold medals and valuables in his possession, he was murdered by a fellow-traveler, named Arcangeli. The robber was interrupted, and fled without secur ing any booty, but was subsequently taken and executed. A collective edition of Winckel mann's works was published (1808-20) and an other (1825-29). Vi inckelmann is considered by all authorities as the founder of modern scien tific archaeology and his conception of the beau tiful elicited Lessing's 'Laokoon.' Consult Justi, (Winckelmarm and seine Zeitgenossen' (2d ed., 3 vols., Leipzig 1898); John, 'Bio graphische Aufsatz) (1866); Pater, Walter, 'The Renaissance: Studies in An and Poetry' (London 1910); Vogel, in 'Allgemeine deutsche Biographic,' XLIII (1898).