Year: 1876

1ne materiallsts VINO acknowledge no
other agencies in the universe than force
and matter, and have no conception Of
the subtle innrenccs, the finer agents
that operate upon humanity, will find it
difficult to account for the fact that the
artist NJ. Nicaisc de keyser, director of
the academy of arts at Antwerp, painted
picture of the celebrated composer,
Won Weber Gas he was found lying back
dead among the cushions, with his hands
upon the keys of the piano., which was
pronounced perfect Likeness of the COM
poser even by his son, although the artist
had never behold Won Weber, and never
seen any portrait of him, and the face OF
the picture x,s, therefore, a purely ideal
conception.


NJ. Keyser thus POLITICALLY describes
the way in which he came to paint the
picture:


"The idea haunted mc-the thought
of the grclt poet-hody found dead with
the light streaming over its face like a
new baptism, and the sweet swan song
dying away under its hands! | wanted
to paint the scene rs felt it. But had
no portrait of Won Weber. searched
everywhere but could find none. read
the descriptions of his death, and dreamed
over his music, and brooded upon the
great rhythmical soul until worked its
elements into the face you see there.
But ] knew not whether TO be satisfied
or not


"At last, one day, Moschcles, the di.
rector OF the conservatory of Leipsic,
came into my studio and saw the pic
ture. lie stood before il a while in
silence, and then burst into tears. lie
had seen Won Weber after death living
among the cushions in the morning
light! lie could not stay. He went
home. But the next day he came again
and put into my hand Les Derneirs'
Moments de Weber the memories that
had rushed over him while he stood look
ing at my picture. 1t was all there-the
dark restlessness of the night-thc sud
den thought of what was to come-the
wild flashes and bursts of melody that
swept through the preat soul-faint, far
off echoes of Der Frischutz' and Robin
dies Bois the old strength of geniu,
leaping up in despair-the fierce agony
and horror-the clinging, desperate hold
on the Seen-thc wild dread and shuddel
before the approaching Unseen--then the
last sweet, sad, dying thought, and the
soul and its utterance rise heavenward
together.


The fame of the picture went abroad
through Moscheles, and just at that time
monument to Won Weber was in cours,
of erection in Dresden. The Princes,
l. wrote to ask me if could persuade
the owner to allow my picture, then in
other hands, to be exhibited in Dresden
to help on the subscription fund. Ii went
thither, and there it was seen by Max
Won Weber, the composers son. He
wrote me a very ilattering letter, and
told me that the resemblance 10 his father
was perfect, and in proof of that sent me
the mask taken after the death of Won
Weber, saying that | had earned the
right to he its posSeSsor. H0a DieU,'
said, if had only known Of the exist
ence of that mask belorcr"


Does not this point strongly to the
eclectic chain wherewith we are darkly
bound P' Charlotte Adams wno saw the
picture and the mask, and pronounced
the likeness wonderfully perfect" and
from whose conversation with the artist
we have taken the shove description
comments upon the strange resemblance
aud says that ii is not singular when We
remember that through all the current
of our lives run the electric harmonies
of the universe. The divine likeness oI
all humanity shows as one through all
earthly forms,