LOUTHERBOURG, PHILIP JAMES DE, a distinguished land scape painter, born at Strasbourg on tho Slat of October 1740, was the son of a miniature painter who died at Paris in 1768. He at first studied under Tischbein, afterwards under Casanova, whose name as an historical painter was then in great vogue. While his own peculiar forte lay in landscape, he was enabled by his education to give to that branch of the art a greater compass and range of subjects than usual, as in his various battle and hunting pieces, besides others that olaim to be considered as strictly historical in subject; for instance, his 'Storming of Valenciennes, and `Lord Howe's Victory in June 1794.' His works are stamped by greet vigour and mastery of pencil, and by excellent management in regard to composition. After having obtaioed considerable reputation at Paris by the works which he exhibited at the Louvre, and having been admitted a member of the Academy there in 1768, Loutherbourg came over to England (where he was afterwards elected a Royal Academician) in 177l, and was engaged as scene-painter at the Opera-House, a department of art for which his vigorous style of execution, his poetical imagination, and his know ledge of scenic effect well qualified him. Soon after his settling in
this country, Lontherbourg got up, under the name of the ' Eidophu Nikon, a novel and very ingenious exhibition, displaying the changes of the elements and their phenomena in a calm, a moonlight, and a sunset and a storm at sea. Of this very interesting pictorial con trivance, which may be said not only to have anticipated, but in some respects to have surpassed our present dioramas, although upon a smaller scale. a tolerably full account is given in Pyne's ' Wine and Walnuts.' Hie best landscapes are his views of Lake and Coast scenery. Lontherbourg etched several of his own compositions. Late in life Loutherbourg became a disciple of the 'prophet' Brothers [BROTHERS, RICHARD], and even set up as a prophet and curer of diseases on his own account ; but the mob having broken the windows of his house at Hammersmith on account of the failure of some of his promises, which he had announced by a public advertisement, he thenceforth abandoned the publication of his predictions. He died at his residence at Hammersmith-terrace, on the 11th of March 1812.