Molinari, Giovanni, an eminent painter of the school of Piedmont, was born at Savigliano in 1721. He was a pupil of Cavaliere Beaumont, and executed a number of works of art for the various churches at Tu- rin and adjacent cities. A picture in the church of S. Bernardo di Vercelli, representing a number of saints, is, according to Lanzi, " well disposed, with good action, and conducted with great care." In Turin there is an Addolorata by him at the Regio Albergo della Virtu; in other places in the state are numerous religious works, among which a »S7. John the Baptist, in the abbey of S. Benigno, is worthy of mention. His character was nat- urally timid, reserved, and modest; and Lanzi saj's he did not paint history as much as he should. Lanzi does not give the date of his decease, but Spooner places his death in 1793. See Lanzi, Hist, of Painting, transl. by Roscoe, iii, 315; Spooner, Biog. Hist, of the Fine Arts, ii, 575.
Molinet, Claude du, a French ecclesiastical anti- quary, was born at Chalons-sur-!Marne in 1620, and dur- ing the greater part of his life occupied the position of canon regular and procurator general of the Congrega- tion of St. Genevieve, Paris. He was the author of several works, based mainly upon his researches in ec- clesiastical antiquities, the most prominent of which are an edition of The Epistles of Stephen, Bishop ofTournay, with notes, and The Hisioiy of the principal Popes, as taken from Medals, The latter work extends from JIartin V to Innocent XI, and includes a description of medals from 1417 to 1678. In addition to his labors in numismatics, he collected a great many rare curiosities and relics, and some very remarkable Greek and Orien- tal MSS. The library of St. Genevieve owes much to him for its present renown on account of its great col- lection and careful preservation of antiquities, wliich have not only proved of public interest, but of great his- torical value. He died Sept. 2, 1687, (H. Wi T.)
Molinier, Etienne, a French Roman Catholic, born at Toulouse about the latter part of the 16th cen- tury, began life with the study of law, and became counsellor to the parliament of his native city ; but sub- sequently took orders, and became doctor of theology and of civil and canon law. He preached with great
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success in the principal churches of Trovence and Paris, aud even preached before Louis XIII, when that mon- arch was crowned in 1610. lie died in 1650. Molinier wrote Sermons pour les dimanches de I'annee (Toulouse, 1631, 2 vols. 8vo) : — /(/. sur le mi/stere de la Croix (1635, 8vo) :—/(/. pour V Octave de Saint Sacrement (Toulouse, 1640, 8vo) -.—Id. sur le symbole de la Croix (Rouen, 1650, 8vo). These sermons evince much depth of thought as well as vast erudition. See Bioffrapkie Toulousaine ; Dictionnuire portatif des Predicateurs. — Hoefer, Xouv. Bh'fj. Generulc, 8. v.
Molinier, Jean-Baptiste, a French divine, was born at Aries in 1675, began his studies in his own country, and contuuied them at Pezenas, under the fa- thers of the Oratory; he then entered the army, but finally quitted the sword to take holy orders. lie taught theology at Aries, and entered the Congregation of the Oratory in 1700. He was subsequently sent to the seminary of Saint-Magloire of Paris, and to JIacon and < irenoble. He evinced remarkable talent for preach- ing, and was very successful at Toulouse, Lyons, Or- leans, and at Paris. Massillon, hearing him, was im- pressed by his eloquence, but at the same time surprised at the inequality of his talent, which sometimes rose to the sublime, and again sank heavily to the obscure and commonplace. Biographers say that when Jlolinier devoted much labor to his discourses, he equalled the most celebrated French orators; but he relied too much upon his talent, and did not sufficiently moderate the impetuosity of his imagination. His discourses are the production of a happy genius, which expresses itself with much fire, energy, force, dignity, and ease. He only lacked taste; his style is incorrect, unequal, and marred by common phrases, which form a strange con- trast to many parts full of life and grandeur. Molinier left the Oratory in 1720, and retiretl to the diocese of Sens, whence lie returned to Paris to resume his preach- ing, but -was prohibited from doing so by M. de Vinti- mille. No longer permitted to preach, Molinier wrote. He left the following works : Traduction nourcUe of tlie Imitation de Je-ius-Ch^ist (Paris, 1725, 12mo) : — Ser- mons Choisis (1732-3i, 3 vols. 12mo) ; the sermon JJu Ciel is considered his principal production: — Paneijij- riques (1732-34, 3 vols. 12mo) : — Discours sur la virile de la religion Chretienm (1732-34, 2 vols. 12mo) :— /n- structions et Prieres propres a soutenir les dmes dans les voies de la penitence, etc. (r2mo) ; a sequel to the Direc- teur des ames penitentes of Vaiige: — Exercice du penitent, with an OJice de la penitence (18mo) : — Les Psaumes, translated into French, with ^ome Notes litterales et mo- rales (12rao) : — Paraphrase du psaume Afiserere: — Sur FArianisme (1718, 4to); very rare. He retired from public life but a short time before his death, which oc- curred iu Paris, March 15, 1745. See Bougerel, Hist aire des Ilommes illustres de Provence ; Chaudont and Delan- dine, Diet. hist. s. v. — Hoefer, A'ouv. Biog. Generale, s. v.