LAIRESSE, 'Ceres', GERARD DE (1641-17 1 ) . A Flemish historical painter and etcher. He was born at Liege, and under the direction of his father received a liberal education in literature and art. He was also a pupil of Bartholet Flemael at Liege. At the age of fifteen lie painted good portraits and historical subjects. From the traditional account it seems that he lived in great poverty at Utrecht and in the neighborhood. painting signs for a living, until summoned by a picture dealer to Amsterdam, where he speedily became celebrated. He is said to have gained inspiration for painting by play ing the violin. He painted with great facility, leaving above two hundred and fifty works. His style was influenced by Poussin and the antique. his art being essentially Flemish, and not realistic, like the Dutch. It was sumptuous and mannered in character. In 1690 his sight became impaired, but he continued his useful ness by dictating his ideas on painting to his pupils and associates. They were collected by his son and published at. Amsterdam. under the title Het groot sehilderbock (1707-12), which, translated into English. German, and French, became a manual for the art academies of the eighteenth eentnry. Lairesse died at Amsterdam, June 28, 1711.
His largest works were decorations for houses in Amsterdam, and for Dutch castles. He was especially fond of mythological subjects, his re ligious pictures being less impressive. Among
his paintings at Amsterdam (Rijksmuseum) are a "Bacchanal," "Legitimate Power," "Revo lution," "Venus. Mars. and Cupid ;" in the Louvre are the "Institution of the Eucharist," "Cleopatra at Tarsus." and a "Dance of Chil dren." The gallery at Cassel is also rich in his works. For the Cathedral of Liege he painted a "Penitence of Saint Augustine" and "Baptism of Saint Augustine:" for the Church of Saint Ursula. at Aix-la-Chapelle. the "Martyrdom" of Saint Ursula.
LA'IS (Lat., from Gk. A aIs). The name of two Greek courtesans, celebrated for their beauty. (1) The elder, probably horn at Co rinth. lived in the time of the Peloponnesian War. Her beauty was said to surpass that of any other woman of her time; but her greed and capriciousness were also notorious. and, when old, she grew overfond of the wine-bottle. Her lovers included many famous men. among them the philosopher Aristippus of Cyrene. (2) The younger was probably born in Sicily, and is said to have been brought to Athens when still a child. She sat as a model to the painter Apelles. Falling in love with a certain Thessalian, she accompanied Lilo to Thessaly, where, it is said, she was stoned to death by sonic jealous women.