Forster. I. Ernst Joachim, a German painter and writer upon art, born at Munchengossen-stadt, Bavaria, April 8, 1800. He studied theology, philosophy, and philology at Jena and Berlin, but afterward devoted himself to painting, and in 1823 became the pupil of Cornelius at Munich. He was employed in painting frescoes in the Aula at Bonn and in the Glyptothek and arcades at Munich till 1826, when he visited Italy. At Pisa, Bologna, and other cities he collected interesting materials for a history of Italian art, and at Padua in 1837 discovered and restored the frescoes in the chapel of St. George. He made a valuable collection of designs by the old masters, prepared guide books for Italy and Germany, and wrote numerous works, the most important being on the history of art. Among these are: Geschichte der deu-tschen Kunst (5 vols., Leipsic, l85l-'59); Vor-schule zur Kunstgeschichte (1862); Denhnale der deutschen Baukeunst, Bildnerei und Malerei (9 vols., 1855-65); Raphael (2 vols., 1869); and Geschichte der italienischen Kunst (2 vols., 1870). He also edited several of the works of Jean Paul Richter, and wrote Wahrheit aus Jean Pauls Leben, and Denkwurdigheiten aus dem Leben Jean Pauls (Munich, 1863).

II. Friedrich, a German historian, brother of the preceding, born Sept. 2-4, 1791, died in Berlin, Nov. 8,1868. On leaving the university of Jena in 1813, he joined, with his friend the poet Kor-ner, in the war of independence against France, composed stirring war songs, and rose to be captain. Subsequently he was professor at the school of artillery and engineering in Berlin till 1817, when he was removed by the government, to which some of his writings gave umbrage, and he found himself likewise hampered in his functions as adjunct professor at the university. He soon became connected with prominent literary journals, visited Italy with his brother, and received in 1829 an appointment at the royal museum, with the title of court councillor. He published poems, novels, plays, and a continuation of Chamisso's Peter Schlemihl, entitled Peter Schlemihl s Heimkehr (2 vols., Berlin, 1849). His most popular historical works relate to Wallenstein, Columbus, and especially to Frederick the Great, and include Geschichte der Befreiungs-Tcriege 1813, 1814 und 1815 (3 vols., 7th ed., Berlin, 1865), and Neuere preussische und deutsche Geschichte (2 vols., 5th ed., 1867-'9).