The New York herald., 1871-10-30
ART MATTE r S.
De Hans, Praise Meeting.

at Cape Ann furnishes Mr.. De Haas with the subject
OF his latest picture 1t may be well to state at once
that the "Pralse Meeting Is only an incident which
the artist mas clevery seized upon give Increased
interest TO an important composite work. combining
the attributes OF the land and scape with some
thing OF the genre added IL is due to Mr.. De Haas
10 say that he has succeeded well IN harmonizing
the different interests and producing most effect
I've picture We cannot say that much novelty is
exhibited in the treatment OF
THE SUNSET SCENE
Those who are conversant with the artists manner
Will at once recognize a TRAIN OF thought with
which they already familiar. But In the "Praise
Meeting' there Is powerful though subdued dra-
matte power which do not rec0llect to have seen
developed to anything like tho same extent IN Mr.
De Haas former works. The scene Is eminentJ
impressive; Iull OF 1tness and propriety-no polnt
has been stretched to obtain sensational effect
and the very subdued nature OF the principal IN.
cdent lends to it force and pathos sngularly ap.
propriate.
The setting In The far West and casts his part
ing golden beams eastward along the shore of Cape
Ann. Far as the eye can reach the coast extends
on the right OF the picture until lost In the
DIM TWILIGHT SHADOWS
OF approaching night, while on the lef extending
from the foreground the broad sea expands away
into the distance. The right foreground Is occupied
by masses OF rock, with few figures scattered
about to relieve the severe gray and brown tlnts
which predominant IN the rocks which have been
treated with force and truthlulness both IN form
and color 1t Is quite refreshing to look at the fore
ground In this painting, for there real rocks,
and could almost imagine ourselves standing among
them enjoying the delightful sea air. In the middle
distance rises bold promontory, on which number
OF people are assembled and the setting sun has
bahed the groups In warm stream OF Light ting
Ing the upper ledges OF
THE soMBRE ROCKS
with warm, brown-red hues. The erect is striking,
and lifts the groups on the rocks from their sub
sldiary positions anu places them prominently
before us, imparting to them an Importance which
does not naturally belong to them from their place IN
the composition At the same time there remains
an ndIstnctness OF detail this incident tnat pre-
vents from attracting too strongly our attention,
whle the very mystery attendant on indlstinctness
comes to neighten the dramatic effect. We can.
therefore, enjoy the quiet rocks aud the plashinS
wavelets breaking on the shore, or peer out Gu
riousy into the deep purple gloom settling on the
sea, where the blue water taking It's hues from the
Clouds seems to mlngle with them III one confused
mass VI
BLACK PURPLE SHADOW.
The beams OF The setung sun fall along the coast
line, minglng with tile waves and turning them
into sea OF gold and purple. This effect Is height
ened by the exquisite feeling displayed IN subdulng
anu soitenlng the Driancy OF the sunDeams anu SO
taking away much OF the sensatlonalsm which Is
attendant on the introduction OF TINS KIND OF incl
dent Mr.. Haas IS so fond OF thus erect that we are
almost inclined to suspect that In his seaside wan.
derings the artist made the acquaintance OF some
mermaid beauty IN o scene winch ne loves to recall;
bat while, as IN duty bound We admire ms constancy,
ana admit that the effect Is Beautiful and charming
tender, yet we confess ourselves liable to tire
even OF good things when they are presented too
oiIen to u.s. The water IN the foreground Is capt
tally painted, the waveles seeming 70 wash in, SO
well has
been cOnveyed; but the water In this little bay,
formed by the curve in the coast line between the
IN fhA
pears To somewhat too blue so near the snore, and
cannot seek the cause Ia the reecion Of tue sky,
yellow. However, this seeming defect may be due
to some local cause OF which we are ignorant The
semi transparent nature well conveyed Tue
painting OF the sky is magnificent and displays
great power In
THE TREATMENT OF MASSES
as well as knowledge Of cloud form. The heavy
the sense OF the immensely which is behind, wei
as the immaerallty OF the clouds, Is conveyed with
atmosphere 50 seldom met with except in the skies
or Turner and Stanheld, ana which gives such
charm to painting. me modelling OF the cloud
masses Is eXceent but there IL a little sameness
the detail of the luminous mass whence this high
light OF the picture proceeds. In point OF color the
sky IS simply exquisite, aud there Dreathes tnrougn
the whole composition feeling of delicate reane-
ment which lends an additional charm to the tech
nica excellence of the work. In spite Of the lumi
nous effect Of
THE AMBER CLOUD,
which Offers strong contrast with the cold browns
picture has been wonderfully preserved, and ex.
hibit5 the most perfect unity Notwithstanding Its
composite character. Very nice feeling has been dis
played in graduating the SKY tnts the brilliant amber
hues dying away gradually and almost tmpercepti-
bly, into the purple shadows In the background, and
melting into cool gleenish grays slightly unged
with yellow, In the sky foreground, which Is here
and there decatey fecked with light cloud streaks
The composition Of the scene strong ana effective,
with much
TENDERNESS OF FEELING
revealed In the arrangements OF the light and shade
and In the choice OF c0lors. Every touch OF the
brush has been harmonized and made subsefvient
10 the general effect and the result Is picture OF
unusual power Everywhere evidences OF careful
and conscientious study present themselves but,
after all, 1t Is In the general effect rather than the
detail that the excellence OF the work strikes us
L00Sing at 1t we feel the motive that underes It,
and with no vague revelation. The scene s full
OF CHARM and It's dramatic effect comes to almost
unconscOusly IL possesses just that quality when
Is absent from most landscape pa1ntiDgs-a serious
purpose-and reveals at once force and poetic feel
Ing In the ARTIST
a >cse =