Mauritz Frederik Hendrik de Haas | Maine Coastal Scene

This oil on canvas by Mauritz Frederik Hendrik de Haas, depicting a dramatic Maine coastal scene, captures the power and changing atmosphere of the New England coast. A rocky island rises amid turbulent seas as rough waves surge toward the foreground, their deep navy-blue waters giving way to rich passages of green and breaking surf. The remains of a sunken vessel add a dramatic narrative element to the composition, while distant seabirds appear low against an expansive, cloud-filled sky. Small openings of clear sky break through the heavy clouds, bringing touches of light to an otherwise powerful and atmospheric marine scene. Measuring an impressive 28 x 44 inches, the painting's broad horizontal format allows de Haas to emphasize the movement of the sea and the rugged character of the Maine coastline.

Signed by the artist in the lower right corner.
Oil on canvas.
Size: 28 x 44 inches.

Mauritz Frederik Hendrik de Haas (1832–1895) was a distinguished Dutch-American marine painter and one of the leading painters of the sea working in nineteenth-century America. Born in Rotterdam, de Haas received artistic instruction from an early age and studied at the Rotterdam Academy of Art. His youthful experiences sketching along the Dutch coast and accompanying pilot boats into the English Channel helped establish a lifelong fascination with the sea and gave him an intimate understanding of waves, weather, ships, and changing coastal conditions.

After establishing his reputation in Europe, de Haas came to New York, where he developed a successful career and attracted prominent American collectors. He was elected an Associate of the National Academy of Design and became a full National Academician in 1867. He was also among the original members of the American Society of Painters in Water Colors. De Haas became particularly admired for marine paintings in which dramatic skies, rocky coastlines, changing light, and meticulously observed waves convey both the beauty and power of the sea. His works were widely exhibited during his lifetime, including at the National Academy of Design and the Centennial Exhibition of 1876, and examples of his paintings are preserved in important museum and institutional collections.

De Haas's knowledge of the sea was more than picturesque; he carefully distinguished between the character of waves in deep water, shallows, and along the shoreline. This attention to the physical movement of water became one of the defining qualities of his marine paintings. With its turbulent green and navy seas, rocky Maine coastline, shipwreck, distant birds, and dramatic cloud-filled sky, this Maine coastal scene is a particularly evocative example of the powerful marine subjects for which de Haas became celebrated.