Top 100 - Piet Mondrian
Piet Mondrian's 100 essential paintings
Broadway Boogie Woogie, Boogie Woogie of Victory, Composition with red, blue and yellow, Composition with large plan red, yellow, black, gray and blue, Composition C, Table I: a journey in 100 paintings to follow Piet Mondrian without transforming the living room in examination room.
Piet Mondrian deserves better than just a row of famous names. The goal is simple: look at Piet Mondrian through the paintings themselves, with enough precision to learn something and enough humor not to hear a museum chair creak in your head.
From the mill to the grid
One hundred paintings to follow an abstraction constructed step by step
Piet Mondrian goes through the history of art with a recognizable signature: a way of framing, of making light work, of organizing bodies, landscapes or colors. A good classification should therefore not only align the titles. It must show how the works respond to each other, how one period prepares for the next, and why certain paintings continue to come back into museums, books and decoration desires.
Mondrian didn't start by putting the world into rectangles. He first looked at the trees, dunes and mills until he discovered that their lines already had a lot to say.Switch to images
Classification in images
Broadway Boogie Woogie, Victory Boogie Woogie and the large neoplastic compositions open the ranking.
#1
Broadway Boogie Woogie
From the first look at "Broadway Boogie Woogie", the balance of power appears above all narrative and establishes a very concrete tension between stability and movement. For "Broadway Boogie Woogie": Completed in New York in 1942-1943, Broadway Boogie Woogie replaces the thick black lines with small yellow, red, blue and gray sequences. For this version of "Broadway Boogie Boogie" Woogie: The grid evokes the map of Manhattan, its lights and the syncopated rhythm of boogie-woogie: an entire city that dances without leaving the right corner. "Broadway Boogie Woogie" is dated 1942. In "Broadway Boogie Woogie", the work is kept at the Museum of Modern Art. In "Broadway Boogie Woogie", the work is kept at the Museum of Modern Art. In "Broadway Boogie Woogie", the work is kept at the Museum of Modern Art. In "Broadway Boogie Woogie", the work is kept at the Museum of Modern Art. In "Broadway Boogie Woogie", the work is kept at the Museum of Modern Art. In "Broadway Boogie Woogie", the work is kept at the Museum of Modern Art. In "Broadway Boogie Woog mondrian created it in oil painting. The balance of "Broadway Boogie Woogie" is not immobile: it results from opposing tensions which are maintained without neutralizing each other, like a very serious dance which would still have heard jazz.
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#2
Boogie Woogie of victory
With "Boogie Woogie of Victory", the eye first encounters a precise organization, then discovers that this rigor allows much more energy to circulate than it promises. For "Boogie Woogie of Victory": Victory Boogie Woogie is Mondrian's last painting, left unfinished in his studio in 1944. For this version of "Boogie Woogie of Victory": Painted squares, colorful ribbons and visible covers show a composition still in motion; even at the height of his career, Mondrian clearly did not consider that a rectangle was automatically right. "Boogie Woogie of Victory" is dated 1942. In "Boogie Woogie of Victory", the work is kept at the Hague Art Museum. In "Boogie Woogie of Victory", the work is kept at the Hague Art Museum. In "Boogie Woogie of Victory", the work is kept at the Hague Art Museum. In "Boogie Woogie of Victory", the work is kept at the Hague Art Museum. In "Boogie Woogie of Victory", the work is kept at the Hague Art Museum. In "Boogie Woogie of Victory", 127.5 x 127.5 cm. In "Boogie Woogie of Victory", Mondrian made it in oil painting. The surface of "Boogie Woogie of Victory" remains deliberately direct, but never uniform. In "Boogie Woogie of Victory", the slight differences in material and proportion remind us that it is a hand-thought-out painting, not an exercise taken out of an automatic ruler.
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#3
Composition with red, blue and yellow
Faced with "Composition with red, blue and yellow", the composition does not deliver everything at once: it is revealed by deviations, repeats and successive movements of the gaze. For "Composition with red, blue and yellow": This 1930 composition has become one of the most recognized images of neoplasticism. For this version of "Composition with red, blue and yellow": This 1930 composition has become one of the most recognized images of neoplasticism. For this version of "Composition with red, blue and yellow": The black lines, the vast white reserves and three primary accents produce an asymmetrical balance where apparent simplicity hides an extremely calculated organization. "Composition with red, blue and yellow" is dated 1930. In "Composition with red, blue and yellow", the work is kept at the Kunsthaus Zürich. In "Composition with red, blue and yellow", the work is kept at the Kunsthaus Zürich. In "Composition with red, blue and yellow", its format is 45 x 45 cm. In " Composition with red, blue and yellow", Mondrian created it in oil on canvas. "Composition with red, blue and yellow" shows how much Mondrian prefers the relationship to the isolated object. In "Composition with Red, Blue and Yellow", a line only fully exists through the color it borders, the void it cuts and the rhythm it transmits.
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#4
Composition with large red, yellow, black, gray and blue plan
The first force of "Composition with large red, yellow, black, gray and blue plane" comes from its internal rhythm, where each element seems to respond to a neighbor without ever completely obeying him. In "Composition with large red, yellow, black, gray and blue plane", Mondrian adjusts each line, color and void ratio as an active relationship. In "Composition with large red plane, yellow, black, gray and blue", nothing is placed to fill the surface: the gaps, asymmetries and interruptions build a balance which seems simple only after a long work of the gaze. "Composition with large red, yellow, black, gray and blue plan" is dated 1921. In "Composition with large red, yellow, black, gray and blue plan", the work is dated 1921. In "Composition with large red, yellow, black, gray and blue plan", the work is kept at the Art Museum of The Hague. In "Composition with large red, yellow, black, gray and blue plan", its format is 59.5 x 59.5 cm. In "Composition with large red, yellow, black, gray and blue plan", Mondrian created it in oil painting. The gaze travels "Composition with large red, yellow, black, gray and blue plan" in leaps, slows down in front of a color, then starts again along a line; this rhythm optique explains his tension without asking for the slightest character.
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#5
Composition C
In "Composition C", space is constructed by measured tensions; the apparent calm quickly resembles a particularly lively conversation between the forms. For "Composition C": Composition C belongs to the moment when Mondrian fixed the vocabulary of neoplasticism around 1920. For this version of "Composition C": Composition C belongs to the moment when Mondrian fixed the vocabulary of neoplasticism around 1920. For this version of "Composition C": The orthogonal lines and primary colors no longer describe an object: they themselves become the subject, rhythm and space of painting. "Composition C" is dated 1920. In "Composition C", the work is kept at the Museum of Modern Art, New York. In "Composition C", its format is 60.3 x 61 cm. In "Composition C", its format is 60.3 x 61 cm. In "Composition C", mondrian made it in oil on canvas. The balance of "Composition C" is not immobile: it results from opposing tensions which are maintained without neutralizing each other, like a very serious dance which would still have heard jazz.
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#6
Table I
What is striking about "Table I" is how a tiny decision is enough to change the breathing of the entire surface. In "Table I", Mondrian adjusts each line, color and void ratio as an active relationship. In "Table I", nothing is placed to fill the surface: gaps, asymmetries and interruptions build a balance that seems simple only after a long work of the gaze. "Painting I" is dated 1921. In "Painting I", the work is kept at the Kunstmuseum Den Haag. In "Painting I", its format is 103 x 100 cm. In "Painting I", Mondrian made it in oil on canvas. In "Painting I", the color acts as a force rather than a filler. In "Painting I", the color acts as a force rather than a filler. In "Painting I", the color acts as a force rather than a filler. In "Painting I", the color acts as a force rather than a filler. In "Painting I", the color acts as a force rather than a filler. In "Painting I", the color acts as a force rather than a filler. In "Painting I", a small blue or a larger red can move the whole thing without noise, but certainly not without consequences.
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#7
Composition with red, blue, black, yellow and gray
Through "Composition with Red, Blue, Black, Yellow and Gray", Mondrian transforms structure into a visual experience: the eye moves forward, hesitates, compares and eventually finds its own tempo. In "Composition with red, blue, black, yellow and gray", Mondrian adjusts each line, color and void ratio as an active relationship. In "Composition with red, blue, black, yellow and gray, nothing is placed to fill the surface: gaps, asymmetries and interruptions build a balance which only seems simple after a long work of the gaze. "Composition with red, blue, black, yellow and gray" is dated 1921. In "Composition with red, blue, black, yellow and gray" is dated 1921. In "Composition with red, blue, black, yellow and gray" is dated 1921. In "Composition with red, blue, black, yellow and gray" is dated 1921. In "Composition with red, blue, black, yellow and gray" the work is kept at the Museum of Modern Art, New York. In "Composition with red, blue, black, yellow and gray", its format is 76 x 52.4 cm. In "Composition with red, blue, black, yellow and gray", mondrian made it in oil on canvas. In "Composition with red, blue, black, yellow and gray", mondrian made it in oil on canvas. In "Composition with red, blue, black, yellow and gray", mondrian made it in oil on canvas. In "Composition with red, blue, black, yellow and gray", mondrian made it in oil on canvas. In "Composition with red, blue, black, yellow and gray", mondrian made it in oil on canvas. In "Composition with red, blue, black, yellow and gray", mondrian made it in oil on canvas. In "Composition with red, blue, black, yellow and gray", the light areas are change the weight of colors and give lines the space to breathe.
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#8
Composition in red, yellow and blue
Under the apparent restraint of "Composition in red, yellow and blue", several opposing movements coexist and give the image a vitality which does not depend on any spectacular effect. In "Composition in Red, Yellow and Blue", Mondrian adjusts each ratio of line, color and void as an active relationship. In "Composition in red, yellow and blue", Mondrian adjusts each ratio of line, color and void as an active relationship. In "Composition in red, yellow and blue", nothing is placed to furnish the surface: deviations, asymmetries and interruptions build a balance that only seems simple after a long work of the gaze. "Composition in red, yellow and blue" is dated 1922. In "Composition in red, yellow and blue", the work is kept at the Granet museum, Aix-en-Provence (deposit of the Musée d'Orsay). In "Composition in red, yellow and blue", the work is kept at the Granet museum, Aix-en-Provence (deposit of the Musée d'Orsay). In "Composition in red, yellow and blue", its format is 40 x 50.5 cm. In "Composition in red, yellow and blue", Mondrian made it in oil on canvas. The surface of "Composition in red, yellow and blue" remains deliberately direct, but never uniform. In "Composition in red, yellow and blue", the slight differences in material and proportion remind us that it is a hand-thought-out painting, not an exercise taken out of an automatic ruler.
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#9
New York City I
"New York City I" imposes an immediate presence, but its true richness appears when the proportions begin to dialogue with each other. For "New York City I": New York City I replaces the black lines with red, blue and yellow bands that intersect on the light background. For this version of "New York City I": Mondrian retains orthogonality but picks up the pace: Manhattan enters the workshop and appears to have brought its own circulation. "New York City I" is dated 1941. In "New York City I", the work is kept at the Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen. In "New York City I", its format is 120 x 115.2 cm. In "New York City I", its format is 120 x 115.2 cm. In "New York City I", Mondrian made it in oil painting. "New York City I", its format is 120 x 115.2 cm. In "New York City I", its format is 120 x 115.2 cm. In "New York City I", Mondrian made it in oil painting. "New York City I" shows how much Mondrian prefers the relationship to the isolated object. In "New York City I", a line only fully exists through the color it borders, the void it cuts and the rhythm it transmits.
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#10
Red tree
The balance of "Red Tree" is never based on easy symmetry; it arises from a cleverly organized disagreement between the different zones. For "Red Tree": Painted in 1908-1909, Red Tree retains a natural pattern but already releases the color of faithful observation. For this version of "Red Tree": Painted in 1908-1909, Red Tree retains a natural pattern but already releases the color of faithful observation. For this version of "Red Tree": The blue branches and the red trunk transform the tree into an energetic network, first very visible step towards the future grids. "Red Tree" is dated 1909. In "Red Tree", the work is kept at the Kunstmuseum Den Haag. In "Red Tree", its format is 70 x 99 cm. In "Red Tree", Mondrian made it in oil on canvas. In "Red Tree", Mondrian created it in oil on canvas. The singularity of "Red Tree" lies in the intervals: Mondrian varies the widths, shifts the crossings and prevents the balance transforms into well-combed symmetry.
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#11
Silver tree
By observing "Silver Tree", we understand that simplicity in Mondrian is a result, never a shortcut or an absence of decisions. For "Silver Tree": Silver Tree, painted in 1911, pushes the simplification of the pattern further. For this version of "Silver Tree": The trunk and branches dissolve into gray curves and clear planes; the tree remains identifiable, but the botany politely begins to leave the room. "Silver Tree" is dated 1911. In "Silver Tree", the work is kept at the Kunstmuseum Den Haag. In "Silver Tree", its format is 79.7 x 109.1 cm. In "Silver Tree", mondrian made it in oil on canvas. The edges of "Silver Tree" count as much as its center: several lines seem to continue out of the frame, this which gives the composition a scale greater than its material format.
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#12
Apple tree in bloom
The "Apple Tree in Flowers" movement is played out less in a visible gesture than in the silent circulation between lines, colors and intervals. For "Apple Tree in Flowers": In Apple Tree in Flowers, produced in 1912, Mondrian fragments the network of branches under the influence of Cubism. For this version of "Apple Tree in Flowers": For this version of "Apple Tree in Flowers", Mondrian fragments the network of branches under the influence of Cubism. For this version of "Apple Tree in Flowers": The natural pattern almost becomes an architecture of signs, to halfway between the orchard and the abstract grid. "Apple tree in bloom" is dated 1912. In "Apple tree in bloom", the work is kept at the Kunstmuseum Den Haag. In "Apple tree in bloom", its format is 78.5 x 107.5 cm. In "Apple tree in bloom", mondrian created it in oil on canvas. In "Apple tree in bloom", mondrian created it in oil on canvas. The gaze travels through "Apple tree in bloom" in leaps, slows down in front of a color, then goes back along of a line; this optical rhythm explains its tension without requiring the slightest character.
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#13
Composition n°10 (Thirt and Ocean)
Each part of "Composition n°10 (Throw and Ocean)" has its own weight, and the work finds its accuracy in the way in which these weights refuse to cancel each other out. For "Composition n°10 (Throw and Ocean)": The Jetée et Océan series transforms the verticals of the piers and the horizontals of the sea into a constellation of small lines. For this version of "Composition n°10 (Throw and Ocean)": Mondrian no longer copies the shore: he extracts a rhythmic structure capable of holding without sand, without seagulls and without weather. "Composition n°10 (Throw and Ocean)" is dated 1915. In "Composition n°10 (Throw and Ocean)", the work is kept at the Kroeller-Müller Museum, Otterlo. In "Composition n°10 (Throw and Ocean)", the work is kept at the Kroeller-Müller Museum, Otterlo. In "Composition n°10 (Throw and Ocean)", the work is kept at the Kroeller-Müller Museum, Otterlo. In "Composition n°10 (Throw and Ocean)", the work is kept at the Kroeller-Müller Museum, Otterlo. In "Composition n°10 (Throw and Ocean)", its format is 85.8 x 108.4 cm. In "Composition n°10 (Throw and Ocean)", its format is 85.8 x 1 Ocean)", Mondrian made it in oil on canvas. In "Composition n°10 (Jete and Ocean)", the light areas are not a passive background: they modify the weight of the colors and give the lines the space necessary to breathe.
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#14
Evolution
The particular tension of "Evolution" comes from its shifts: nothing is centered by reflex, nothing is repeated with perfect docility. For "Evolution": The Evolution triptych, completed around 1911, associates three frontal female figures with spiritual and symbolic research. For this version of "Evolution": The work recalls that Mondrian's transition to abstraction does not comes not only from geometry, but also from a very serious philosophical ambition under frankly decided colors. "Evolution" is dated 1911. In "Evolution", the work is kept at the Kunstmuseum Den Haag. In "Evolution", its format is central panel 183 x 87.5 cm; side panels 178 x 85 cm. In "Evolution", its format is central panel 183 x 87.5 cm; side panels 178 x 85 cm. In "Evolution", Mondrian created it in oil on canvas. THE gaze travels through "Evolution" in leaps, slows down in front of a color, then leaves along a line; this optical rhythm explains its tension without requiring the slightest character.
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#15
Composition in brown and gray
"Composition in brown and gray" requires a mobile look, attentive to the edges as well as the center and to the silences as well as to the colored accents. For "Composition in brown and gray": Composition in brown and gray belongs to the Parisian cubist period. For this version of "Composition in brown and gray": Composition in brown and gray belongs to the Parisian cubist period. For this version of "Composition in brown and gray": The tight tones and vertical facets preserve a memory of the pattern while directing painting towards an increasingly autonomous construction. "Composition in brown and gray" is dated 1913. In "Composition in brown and gray", the work is kept at the Museum of Modern Art, New York. In "Composition in Brown and Gray", its format is 85.7 x 75.6 cm. In "Composition in Brown and Gray", its format is 85.7 x 75.6 cm. In "Composition in Brown and Gray", its format is 85.7 x 75.6 cm. In "Composition in Brown and Gray", its format is 85.7 x 75.6 cm. In "Composition in Brown and Gray", Mondrian created it in oil on canvas. The singularity "composition in brown and gray" is based on intervals: Mondrian varies the widths, shifts the crossings and prevents the balance from transforming into well-combed symmetry.
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#16
Table I: Four-line diamond and gray
The composition of "Table I: Four-line diamond and gray" appears sharp, but this sharpness contains calculated hesitations that prevent the image from freezing. For "Table I: Four-line diamond and gray": With only four lines on a diamond-shaped canvas, Mondrian pushes the reduction to extreme sobriety. For this version of "Table I: Four-line diamond and gray" and gray: The diagonal edge activates the verticals and horizontals, proof that a composition can have very little furniture and still occupy the entire room. "Picture I: Four-line diamond and gray" is dated 1926. In "Picture I: Four-line diamond and gray", the work is kept at the Museum of Modern Art, New York. In "Picture I: Four-line diamond and gray", the work is kept at the Museum of Modern Art, New York. In "Picture I: Four-line diamond and gray", the work is kept at the Museum of Modern Art, New York. In "Picture I: Four-line diamond and gray", the work is kept at the Museum of Modern Art, New York. In "Picture I: Four-line diamond and gray", the work is kept at the Museum of Modern Art, New York format is 117.2 x 115.6 cm. In "Table I: Four-line diamond and gray", Mondrian made it in oil on canvas. The singularity of "Table I: Four-line diamond and gray" lies in the intervals: Mondrian varies the widths, shifts the crossings and prevents the balance from transforming into well-combed symmetry.
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#17
Composition with grid 1
With "Composition with grid 1", the shapes do not only represent something: they establish between them a living order, firm without being stiff. In "Composition with grid 1", Mondrian regulates each ratio of line, color and void as an active relationship. In "Composition with grid 1", Mondrian regulates each ratio of line, color and void as an active relationship. In "Composition with grid 1", nothing is placed to fill the surface: the gaps, the asymmetries and the interruptions build a balance that seems simple only after a long work of the gaze. "Composition with Grid 1" is dated 1918. In "Composition with Grid 1", the work is kept at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. In "Composition with Grid 1", its format is 80.2 x 49.8 cm. In "Composition with Grid 1", its format is 80.2 x 49.8 cm. In "Composition with Grid 1", its format is 80.2 x 49.8 cm. In "Composition with Grid 1", its format is 80.2 x 49.8 cm. In "Composition with Grid 1", its format is 80.2 x 49.8 cm. In "Composition with singularity of "Composition with grid 1" is due to the intervals: Mondrian varies the widths, shifts the crossings and prevents the balance from transforming into well-combed symmetry.
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#18
Composition with color planes 5
The experience of "Composition with color planes 5" begins with clarity and continues with a series of discreet, almost musical tensions. In "Composition with color planes 5", Mondrian adjusts each line, color and void ratio as an active relationship. In "Composition with color planes 5", Mondrian adjusts each line, color and void ratio as an active relationship. In "Composition with color planes 5", nothing is laid to fill the surface: the gaps, the asymmetries and interruptions build a balance that seems simple only after a long work of the gaze. In "Composition with color planes 5", color acts as a force rather than a filler. In "Composition with color planes 5", a small blue or a larger red can move the whole thing without noise, but certainly not without consequences.
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#19
Composition with red, blue, yellow, black and gray
In "Composition with red, blue, yellow, black and gray", the void has as much authority as the painted parts, and this equality gives the whole its singular breathing. In "Composition with Red, Blue, Yellow, Black and Gray", Mondrian adjusts each line, color and void ratio as an active relationship. In "Composition with red, blue, yellow, black and gray", Mondrian adjusts each line, color and void ratio as an active relationship. In "Composition with red, blue, yellow, black and gray, nothing is placed to fill the surface: gaps, asymmetries and interruptions build a balance which seems simple only after a long work of the gaze. "Composition with red, blue, yellow, black and gray" is read slowly, because each decision responds to another: one horizontal stabilizes, one vertical restarts, one white reserve prevents the colors from all speaking at the same time.
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#20
The Moulin Rouge
The construction of "Le Moulin Rouge" is based on severe economy, but Mondrian leaves enough gaps for the eye to never walk in step. For "Le Moulin Rouge": The Moulin Rouge, painted around 1911, transforms familiar architecture into an almost monumental colored mass. For this version of "Le Moulin Rouge": The Moulin Rouge, painted around 1911, transforms familiar architecture into an almost monumental colored mass. For this version of "Le Moulin Rouge": Red and blue intensify the subject to the point of making the mill one hinge between luminist landscape and abstraction. "Le Moulin Rouge" is dated 1911. In "Le Moulin Rouge", the work is kept at the Kunstmuseum Den Haag. In "Le Moulin Rouge", its format is 150 x 86 cm. In "Le Moulin Rouge", Mondrian created it in oil on canvas. "Le Moulin Rouge" shows how much Mondrian prefers the relationship to the isolated object. In "Le Moulin Rouge", Mondrian made it in oil on canvas. "Le Moulin Rouge" shows how much Mondrian prefers the relationship to the isolated object. In "Le Moulin Rouge", one line only fully exists through the color it borders, the void it cuts and the rhythm it transmits.
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#21
Mill in sunlight
From the first glance at "Moulin dans la Lumière du Soleil", the balance of power appears above all narrative and establishes a very concrete tension between stability and movement. In "Moulin dans la Lumière du Soleil", the architecture gives Mondrian a play of verticals, horizontals and colored masses that is already very constructed. In "Moulin dans la Lumière du Soleil", the building remains recognizable, but its silhouette works above all like a rhythm, with more framework than folklore. "Moulin dans la Lumière du Soleil" is dated 1908. In "Moulin dans la Lumière du Soleil", the work is kept at the Kunstmuseum Den Haag. In "Moulin dans la Lumière du Soleil", its format is 114.8 x 87 cm. In "Moulin dans la Lumière du Soleil", its format is 114.8 x 87 cm. In "Moulin dans la Lumière du Soleil", its format is 114.8 x 87 cm. In "Moulin dans la Lumière du Soleil", its format is 114.8 x 87 cm. In "Moulin dans la Lumière du Soleil", its format is 114.8 x 87 cm. In "Moulin dans la Lumière du Soleil", mondrian has it made in oil on canvas. In "Moulin dans la Lumière du Soleil", the right angle prohibits neither movement nor visual humor: it is enough for one color to arrive a little earlier than expected for the entire composition to change tempo.
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#22
Dune I
With "Dune I", the eye first encounters a precise organization, then discovers that this rigor allows much more energy to circulate than it promises. For "Dune I": Dune I reduces the landscape of Zeeland to a few strips of sand, sky and vegetation. For this version of "Dune I": Dune I reduces the landscape of Zeeland to a few strips of sand, sky and vegetation. For this version of "Dune I": The horizon becomes the main axis of a composition where Mondrian learns to obtain a lot space with very few elements. "Dune I" is dated 1909. In "Dune I", the work is kept at the Kunstmuseum Den Haag. In "Dune I", its format is 30 x 40 cm. In "Dune I", Mondrian made it in oil on cardboard. "Dune I" shows how much Mondrian prefers the relationship to the isolated object. In "Dune I", Mondrian made it out of oil on cardboard. "Dune I" shows how much Mondrian prefers the relationship to the isolated object. In "Dune I", Mondrian made it out of oil on cardboard. "Dune I" shows how much Mondrian prefers the relationship to the isolated object. In "Dune I", a line only fully exists through the color it borders, the void that it cuts and the rhythm it transmits.
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#23
Devotion
Faced with "Devotion", the composition does not deliver everything at once: it reveals itself through deviations, repetitions and successive shifts of the gaze. For "Devotion": Devotion belongs to Mondrian's symbolist and luminist period. For this version of "Devotion": The concentrated figure and the vertical flower give the painting a spiritual intensity which reminds us that his quest for order was not never a simple matter of decoration. The surface of "Devotion" remains deliberately direct, but never uniform. In "Devotion", the slight differences in material and proportion remind us that it is a hand-thought-out painting, not an exercise taken out of an automatic ruler.
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#24
Checkerboard composition, Dark colors
The first force of "Damier Composition, Dark Colors" comes from its internal rhythm, where each element seems to respond to a neighbor without ever completely obeying them. For "Damier Composition, Dark Colors": Checkerboard compositions from 1919 circulate color in small, regular units while avoiding mechanical symmetry. For this version of "Damier Composition, Dark Colors", Dark colors: They serve as a laboratory between the colored planes of the 1910s and the large neoplastic grids. The surface of "Damier Composition, Dark Colors" remains deliberately direct, but never uniform. In "Damier Composition, Dark Colors", the slight differences in material and proportion remind us that it is a hand-thought-out painting, not one exercise taken out of an automatic ruler.
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#25
Composition with a large red, black, blue, yellow and gray plane
In "Composition with a large red, black, blue, yellow and gray plane", space is constructed by measured tensions; the apparent calm quickly resembles a particularly lively conversation between forms. In "Composition with a large red, black, blue, yellow and gray plane", Mondrian adjusts each line, color and void ratio as an active relationship. In "Composition with a large red, black, blue, yellow and gray plane, nothing is placed to fill the surface: gaps, asymmetries and interruptions build a balance that seems simple only after a long work of the gaze. In "Composition with a large plane red, black, blue, yellow and gray", color acts as a force rather than a filler. In "Composition with a large plane red, black, blue, yellow and gray", color acts as a force rather than a filler. In "Composition with a large red, black, blue, yellow and gray plane, a small blue or a larger red can move the whole thing without noise, but certainly not without consequences.
Discover →Diamonds, paintings and compositions from the 1920s-1930s show how much each line and each interval counts.
#26
Composition with red, yellow and blue
What is striking about "Composition with red, yellow and blue" is how a tiny decision is enough to change the breathing of the entire surface. In "Composition with Red, Yellow and Blue", Mondrian adjusts each line, color and void ratio as an active relationship. In "Composition with red, yellow and blue", Mondrian adjusts each line, color and void ratio as an active relationship. In "Composition with red, yellow and blue", nothing is posed for furnishing the surface: gaps, asymmetries and interruptions build a balance that seems simple only after a long work of the gaze. "Composition with red, yellow and blue" is read slowly, because each decision responds to another: a horizontal stabilizes, a vertical restarts, a white reserve prevents the colors from all speaking at the same time.
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#27
Composition n° III with red, yellow and blue
Through "Composition n° III with red, yellow and blue", Mondrian transforms the structure into a visual experience: the eye advances, hesitates, compares and ends up finding its own tempo. "Composition n° III with red, yellow and blue" belongs to the phase where Mondrian dismantles the cubist motif to retain its lines of force. In "Composition n° III with red, yellow and blue" belongs to the phase where Mondrian dismantles the cubist motif to retain its lines of force. In "Composition n° III with red, yellow and blue" belongs to the phase where Mondrian dismantles the cubist motif to retain its lines of force. In "Composition n° III with red, yellow and blue" and blue", the fragments are organized without an obvious narrative center; the image advances towards autonomy, but still retains some traces of the visible world. The gaze travels "Composition n° III with red, yellow and blue" in leaps, slows down in front of a color, then leaves along a line; this optical rhythm explains its tension without requiring the slightest character.
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#28
Composition with blue, yellow and red
Under the apparent restraint of "Composition with blue, yellow and red", several opposing movements coexist and give the image a vitality that does not depend on any spectacular effect. In "Composition with Blue, Yellow and Red", Mondrian adjusts each line, color and void ratio as an active relationship. In "Composition with blue, yellow and red", Mondrian adjusts each line, color and void ratio as an active relationship. In "Composition with blue, yellow and red", nothing is placed to fill the surface: gaps, asymmetries and interruptions build a balance which only seems simple after a long work of the gaze. In "Composition with blue, yellow and red", the work is kept at the Museum of Fine Arts. The surface of "Composition with blue, yellow and red" remains deliberately direct, but never uniform. In "Composition with blue, yellow and red", the slight differences in material and proportion remind us that this is a hand-thought-out painting, not an exercise taken out of an automatic ruler.
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#29
Composition with red, black, blue and yellow
"Composition with red, black, blue and yellow" imposes an immediate presence, but its true richness appears when the proportions begin to dialogue with each other. In "Composition with Red, Black, Blue and Yellow", Mondrian adjusts each line, color and void ratio as an active relationship. In "Composition with red, black, blue and yellow", Mondrian adjusts each line, color and void ratio as an active relationship. In "Composition with red, black, blue and yellow", nothing is placed to fill the surface: the gaps, asymmetries and interruptions build a balance which only seems simple after a long work of the gaze. The surface of "Composition with red, black, blue and yellow" remains deliberately direct, but never uniform. In "Composition with red, black, blue and yellow" remains deliberately direct, but never uniform. In "Composition with red, black, blue and yellow", the slight deviations of material and proportion remind us that this is a hand-thought-out painting, not an exercise taken out of an automatic ruler.
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#30
Composition III with red, blue, yellow and black
The balance of "Composition III with red, blue, yellow and black" is never based on easy symmetry; it arises from a cleverly organized disagreement between the different zones. In "Composition III with red, blue, yellow and black", Mondrian regulates each line, color and void ratio as an active relationship. In "Composition III with red, blue, yellow and black", Mondrian adjusts each line, color and void ratio as an active relationship. In "Composition III with red, blue, yellow and black", nothing is placed to fill the surface: gaps, asymmetries and interruptions build a balance that seems simple only after a long work of the gaze. "Composition III with red, blue, yellow and black" is read slowly, because each decision responds to another: a horizontal stabilizes, a vertical restarts, a white reserve prevents the colors from all speaking at the same time.
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#31
Composition n° IV, with red, blue and yellow
By observing "Composition n° IV, with red, blue and yellow", we understand that simplicity in Mondrian is a result, never a shortcut or an absence of decisions. "Composition n° IV, with red, blue and yellow" belongs to the phase where Mondrian dismantles the cubist motif to retain its main lines. In "Composition n° IV, with red, blue and yellow", belongs to the phase where Mondrian dismantles the cubist motif to retain its main lines. In "Composition n° IV, with red, blue and yellow", the fragments are organized without an obvious narrative center; the image advances towards autonomy, but still retains some traces of the visible world. "Composition n° IV, with red, blue and yellow" shows how much Mondrian prefers the relationship to the isolated object. In "Composition n° IV, with red, blue and yellow" shows how much Mondrian prefers the relationship to the isolated object. In "Composition n° IV, with red, blue and yellow", a line only fully exists through the color it borders, the void that it cuts and the rhythm that it transmits.
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#32
Composition in white, red and blue
The movement of "Composition in white, red and blue" is played out less in a visible gesture than in the silent circulation between lines, colors and intervals. In "Composition in white, red and blue", Mondrian adjusts each ratio of line, color and void as an active relationship. In "Composition in white, red and blue", Mondrian adjusts each ratio of line, color and void as an active relationship. In "Composition in white, red and blue", nothing is placed to fill the surface: the deviations, asymmetries and interruptions build a balance that only seems simple after a long work of the gaze. The surface of "Composition in white, red and blue" remains deliberately direct, but never uniform. In "Composition in white, red and blue", the slight deviations in material and proportion remind us that it is a hand-thought-out painting, not one exercise taken out of an automatic ruler.
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#33
Composition in white, red and yellow
Each part of "Composition in White, Red and Yellow" has its own weight, and the work finds its accuracy in the way in which these weights refuse to cancel each other out. In "Composition in White, Red and Yellow", Mondrian adjusts each ratio of line, color and void as an active relationship. In "Composition in white, red and yellow", Mondrian adjusts each ratio of line, color and void as an active relationship. In "Composition in white, red and yellow", nothing is placed to fill the surface: the deviations, asymmetries and interruptions build a balance that seems simple only after a long work of the gaze. In "Composition in white, red and yellow", light areas are not a passive background: they change the weight of colors and give lines the space to breathe.
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#34
Composition in red, blue and white II
The particular tension of "Composition in Red, Blue and White II" comes from its shifts: nothing is reflexively centered, nothing is repeated with perfect docility. In "Composition in Red, Blue and White II", Mondrian adjusts each line, color and void ratio as an active relationship. In "Composition in Red, Blue and White II", Mondrian adjusts each line, color and void ratio as an active relationship. In "Composition in Red, Blue and White II", nothing is laid to fill the surface : deviations, asymmetries and interruptions build a balance that seems simple only after a long work of the gaze. The singularity of "Composition in red, blue and white II" lies in the intervals: Mondrian varies the widths, shifts the crossings and prevents the balance from transforming into well-combed symmetry.
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#35
Composition with yellow, blue and red
"Composition with yellow, blue and red" requires a moving gaze, attentive to the edges as much as to the center and to the silences as much as to the colored accents. In "Composition with Yellow, Blue and Red", Mondrian adjusts each relationship of line, color and void as an active relationship. In "Composition with yellow, blue and red", Mondrian adjusts each relationship of line, color and void as an active relationship. In "Composition with yellow, blue and red", nothing is placed to fill the surface: the gaps, the asymmetries and interruptions build a balance that only seems simple after a long work of the gaze. In "Composition with Yellow, Blue and Red", the work is kept at Tate Modern. The surface of "Composition with Yellow, Blue and Red" remains deliberately direct, but never uniform. In "Composition with yellow, blue and red" the slight deviations of material and proportion reminds us that this is a hand-thought-out painting, not an exercise taken out of an automatic ruler.
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#36
Composition with blue, red, yellow and black
The composition of "Composition with blue, red, yellow and black" appears sharp, but this sharpness contains calculated hesitations that prevent the image from freezing. In "Composition with Blue, Red, Yellow, and Black", Mondrian adjusts each line, color, and void ratio as an active relationship. In "Composition with blue, red, yellow, and black" nothing is placed to fill the surface: gaps, asymmetries and interruptions build a balance that seems simple only after a long work of the gaze. In "Composition with blue, red, yellow and black", light areas are not a passive background: they change the weight of colors and give lines the space to breathe.
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#37
Composition with blue, black, yellow and red
With "Composition with blue, black, yellow and red", the shapes not only represent something: they establish between them a living order, firm without being stiff. In "Composition with blue, black, yellow and red", Mondrian adjusts each ratio of line, color and void as an active relationship. In "Composition with blue, black, yellow and red", Mondrian adjusts each ratio of line, color and void as an active relationship. In "Composition with blue, black, yellow and red, nothing is placed to fill the surface: gaps, asymmetries and interruptions build a balance which only seems simple after a long work of the gaze. The surface of "Composition with blue, black, yellow and red" remains deliberately direct, but never uniform. In "Composition with blue, black, yellow and red" remains deliberately direct, but never uniform. In "Composition with blue, black, yellow and red", the light ones differences in material and proportion remind us that this is a hand-thought-out painting, not an exercise taken out of an automatic ruler.
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#38
Composition with blue, yellow, black and red
The experience of "Composition with blue, yellow, black and red" begins with clarity and continues with a series of discreet, almost musical tensions. In "Composition with Blue, Yellow, Black and Red", Mondrian adjusts each line, color and void ratio as an active relationship. In "Composition with blue, yellow, black and red", Mondrian adjusts each line, color and void ratio as an active relationship. In "Composition with blue, yellow, black and red", nothing is not placed to fill the surface: gaps, asymmetries and interruptions build a balance which seems simple only after a long work of the gaze. The balance of "Composition with blue, yellow, black and red" is not immobile: it results from opposing tensions which are maintained without neutralizing each other, like a very serious dance which would have all the same heard jazz.
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#39
Composition with yellow, red, black, blue and gray
In "Composition with yellow, red, black, blue and gray", the void has as much authority as the painted parts, and this equality gives the whole its singular breathing. In "Composition with yellow, red, black, blue and gray", Mondrian adjusts each line, color and void ratio as an active relationship. In "Composition with yellow, red, black, blue and gray", Mondrian adjusts each line, color and void ratio as an active relationship. In "Composition with yellow, red, black, blue and gray, nothing is placed to fill the surface: gaps, asymmetries and interruptions build a balance which seems simple only after a long work of the gaze. In "Composition with yellow, red, black, blue and gray", light areas are not a passive background: they change the weight of colors and give lines the space needed to breathe.
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#40
Composition with red, black, yellow, blue and gray
The construction of "Composition with red, black, yellow, blue and gray" is based on severe economy, but Mondrian leaves enough gaps for the eye to never walk in step. In "Composition with red, black, yellow, blue and gray", Mondrian adjusts each line, color and void ratio as an active relationship. In "Composition with red, black, yellow, blue and gray", Mondrian adjusts each line, color and void ratio as an active relationship. In "Composition with red, black, yellow, blue and gray, nothing is placed to fill the surface: gaps, asymmetries and interruptions build a balance which only seems simple after a long work of the gaze. The gaze travels "Composition with red, black, yellow, blue and gray" in leaps, slows down in front of a color, then starts again along a line; this optical rhythm explains his tension without asking for the slightest character.
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#41
Diamond composition with yellow, black, blue, red and gray
From the first glance at "Losange composition with yellow, black, blue, red and gray", the balance of power appears above all narrative and establishes a very concrete tension between stability and movement. In "Losange composition with yellow, black, blue, red and gray", Mondrian adjusts each line, color and void ratio as a relationship active. In "Losange composition with yellow, black, blue, red and gray", nothing is laid to fill the surface: deviations, asymmetries and interruptions build a balance that seems simple only after a long work of the gaze. "Losange composition with yellow, black, blue, red and gray" is read slowly, because each decision responds to another: a horizontal stabilizes, a vertical restarts, a white reserve prevents the colors from all speaking at the same time.
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#42
Table n° IV; Diamond composition with red, gray, blue, yellow and black
With "Table n° IV; Diamond composition with red, gray, blue, yellow and black", the eye first encounters a precise organization, then discovers that this rigor allows much more energy to circulate than it promises. In "Table n° IV; Diamond composition with red, gray, blue, yellow and black", Mondrian adjusts each line and color ratio and emptiness as an active relationship. In "Table n° IV; Diamond composition with red, gray, blue, yellow and black", nothing is laid to fill the surface: gaps, asymmetries and interruptions build a balance that seems simple only after a long work of the gaze. In "Table n° IV; Diamond composition with red, gray, blue, yellow and Black, the work is kept at the National Gallery. "Picture n° IV; Diamond composition with red, gray, blue, yellow and black" shows how much Mondrian prefers the relationship to the isolated object. In "Picture n° IV; Diamond composition with red, gray, blue, yellow and black", a line only fully exists through the color it borders, the void that it cuts and the rhythm that it transmits.
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#43
Diamond composition with two lines
Faced with "Composition of a diamond with two lines", the composition does not deliver everything in one piece: it reveals itself through deviations, repetitions and successive movements of the gaze. In "Composition of a diamond with two lines", Mondrian regulates each relationship of line, color and void as an active relationship. In "Composition of a diamond with two lines", Mondrian regulates each relationship of line, color and void as an active relationship. In "Composition of a diamond with two lines", nothing is laid to furnish it surface: deviations, asymmetries and interruptions build a balance that seems simple only after a long work of the gaze. In "Diamond composition with two lines", light areas are not a passive background: they change the weight of colors and give the lines the space to breathe.
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#44
Composition with grid 4 (diamond)
The first force of "Composition with grid 4 (diamond)" comes from its internal rhythm, where each element seems to respond to a neighbor without ever completely obeying him. In "Composition with grid 4 (diamond)", Mondrian adjusts each ratio of line, color and void as an active relationship. In "Composition with grid 4 (diamond)", Mondrian adjusts each ratio of line, color and void as an active relationship. In "Composition with grid 4 (diamond)", Mondrian adjusts each ratio of line, color and void as an active relationship. In "Composition with grid 4 (diamond)", nothing is placed to furnish the surface: the deviations, asymmetries and interruptions build a balance that seems simple only after a long work of the gaze. In "Composition with grid 4 (diamond)", color acts as a force rather than as a filling. In "Composition with grid 4 (diamond)", a small blue or a larger red can move the whole without noise, but certainly not without consequence.
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#45
Composition with gray lines
In "Composition with gray lines", space is constructed by measured tensions; the apparent calm quickly resembles a particularly lively conversation between shapes. In "Composition with Gray Lines", Mondrian adjusts each relationship of line, color and void as an active relationship. In "Composition with Gray Lines", Mondrian adjusts each relationship of line, color and void as an active relationship. In "Composition with gray lines", nothing is laid to fill the surface: the deviations, asymmetries and interruptions build a balance that seems simple only after a long work of the gaze. The singularity of "Composition with gray lines" lies in the intervals: Mondrian varies the widths, shifts the crossings and prevents the balance from transforming into well-combed symmetry.
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#46
Composition: Light colored plans with gray lines
What is striking about "Composition: Light-colored planes with gray lines" is how a tiny decision is enough to change the breathing of the entire surface. In "Composition: Light-colored planes with gray lines", Mondrian adjusts each line, color, and void ratio as an active relationship. In "Composition: Light-colored planes with gray lines", Mondrian adjusts each line, color, and void ratio as an active relationship. In "Composition: Light-colored planes with gray lines nothing is placed to fill the surface: gaps, asymmetries and interruptions build a balance which only seems simple after a long work of the gaze. The balance of "Composition: Light-colored shots with gray lines" is not immobile: it results from opposing tensions which are maintained without neutralizing each other, like a very serious dance which would have everything even heard jazz.
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#47
Composition 7: Light-colored shots with gray outlines
Through "Composition 7: Light-colored shots with gray outlines", Mondrian transforms the structure into a visual experience: the eye moves forward, hesitates, compares and eventually finds its own tempo. In "Composition 7: Light-colored shots with gray outlines", Mondrian adjusts each line, color, and void ratio as an active relationship. In "Composition 7: Light-colored shots with gray outlines", Mondrian adjusts each line, color, and void ratio as an active relationship. In "Composition 7: Color shots clear with gray contours", nothing is placed to fill the surface: gaps, asymmetries and interruptions build a balance which seems simple only after a long work of the gaze. "Composition 7: Light-colored shots with gray contours" is read slowly, because each decision responds to another: one horizontal stabilizes, one vertical restarts, one white reserve prevent the colors from all speaking at the same time.
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#48
Composition with colored planes and gray lines
Under the apparent restraint of "Composition with planes of color and gray lines", several opposing movements coexist and give the image a vitality which does not depend on any spectacular effect. In "Composition with planes of color and gray lines", Mondrian adjusts each ratio of line, color and void as an active relationship. In "Composition with planes of color and gray lines", nothing is placed to fill the surface: gaps, asymmetries and interruptions build a balance which only seems simple after a long work of the gaze. The singularity of "Composition with planes of color and gray lines" lies in the intervals: Mondrian varies the widths, shifts the crossings and prevents the balance from transforming into symmetry well combed.
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#49
Composition with color fields
"Composition with color fields" imposes an immediate presence, but its true richness appears when the proportions begin to dialogue with each other. In "Composition with Color Fields", Mondrian regulates each relationship of line, color and void as an active relationship. In "Composition with color fields", nothing is laid to fill the surface: the deviations, asymmetries and interruptions build a balance that seems simple only after a long work of the gaze. The gaze travels "Composition with color fields" in leaps, slows down in front of a color, then starts again along a line; this optical rhythm explains its tension without requiring the slightest character.
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#50
Composition with color plans: facade
The balance of "Composition with color planes: facade" is never based on easy symmetry; it arises from a cleverly organized disagreement between the different zones. In "Composition with color planes: facade", architecture gives Mondrian a set of verticals, horizontals and colored masses that is already very constructed. In "Composition with color planes: facade", the building remains recognizable, but its silhouette works above all like a rhythm, with more framework than folklore. The edges of "Composition with color plans: facade" count as much as its center: several lines seem to continue outside the frame, which gives the composition a magnitude greater than its material format.
Discover →Red tree, Silver tree, Apple tree in bloom and Pier and Ocean make the transformation of the pattern visible.
#51
Composition n° VI, Composition 9 (Blue facade)
By observing "Composition n° VI, Composition 9 (Blue Facade)", we understand that simplicity in Mondrian is a result, never a shortcut or an absence of decisions. In "Composition n° VI, Composition 9 (Blue Facade)", architecture gives Mondrian a set of verticals, horizontals and colored masses that are already very constructed. In "Composition n° VI, Composition 9 (Blue Facade)", architecture gives Mondrian a set of verticals, horizontals and colored masses that are already very constructed. In "Composition n° VI, Composition 9 (Blue Facade)", architecture gives Mondrian a set of verticals, horizontals and colored masses that is already very constructed. blue)", the building remains recognizable, but its silhouette works above all like a rhythm, with more framework than folklore. The balance of "Composition n° VI, Composition 9 (Blue Facade)" is not immobile: it results from opposing tensions which are maintained without neutralizing each other, like a very serious dance which would still have heard jazz.
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#52
Oval composition with color panels 2
The movement of "Oval composition with color panels 2" is played out less in a visible gesture than in the silent circulation between lines, colors and intervals. For "Oval composition with color panels 2": Oval compositions from the Cubist period concentrate the fragments in the center while allowing the edge to interrupt their expansion. For this version of " Oval composition with color panels 2": The oval functions like a laboratory before the more radical rectangular grid of the following years. The gaze travels "Oval composition with color panels 2" in leaps, slows down in front of a color, then starts again along a line; this optical rhythm explains its tension without requiring the slightest character.
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#53
Composition in an oval with color planes 1
Each part of "Composition in an Oval with Color Planes 1" has its own weight, and the work finds its accuracy in the way these weights refuse to cancel each other out. "Composition in an oval with planes of color 1" belongs to the phase where Mondrian dismantles the cubist motif to retain its lines of force. In "Composition in an oval with planes of color 1" belongs to the phase where Mondrian dismantles the cubist motif to retain its lines of force. In "Composition in an oval with planes of color 1" the fragments are organized without an obvious narrative center; the image advances towards autonomy, but still retains some traces of the visible world. In "Composition in an oval with planes of color 1", color acts as a force rather than as a filler. In "Composition in an oval with planes of color 1", color acts as a force rather than a filler. In "Composition in an oval with planes of color 1", a small blue or a larger red can move the whole without noise, but certainly not without consequences.
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#54
Table n° 3: Composition in an oval
The particular tension of "Table n° 3: Composition in an oval" comes from its shifts: nothing is centered by reflex, nothing is repeated with perfect docility. "Table n° 3: Composition in an oval" belongs to the phase where Mondrian dismantles the cubist motif to retain its lines of force. In "Table n° 3: Composition in an oval", the fragments are organized without obvious narrative center; the image advances towards autonomy, but still retains some traces of the visible world. In "Table n° 3: Composition in an oval", the right angle prohibits neither movement nor visual humor: it is enough for one color to arrive a little earlier than expected for the entire composition to change tempo.
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#55
Table III: Oval composition
"Table III: Oval composition" requires a moving gaze, attentive to the edges as well as the center and to the silences as well as to the colored accents. For "Table III: Oval composition": Oval compositions from the Cubist period concentrate the fragments in the center while letting the edge interrupt their expansion. For this version of "Table III: Oval composition": The oval functions as a laboratory before the more radical rectangular grid of the following years. The singularity of "Table III: Oval Composition" lies in the intervals: Mondrian varies the widths, shifts the crossings and prevents the balance from transforming into well-combed symmetry.
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#56
Composition n° XVI, Composition 1 (Trees)
The composition of "Composition n° XVI, Composition 1 (Trees)" seems clear, but this clarity contains calculated hesitations which prevent the image from freezing. "Composition n° XVI, Composition 1 (Trees)" belongs to the phase where Mondrian dismantles the cubist motif to retain its lines of force. In "Composition n° XVI, Composition 1 (Trees)" belongs to the phase where Mondrian dismantles the cubist motif to retain its lines of force. In "Composition n° XVI, Composition 1 (Trees)" belongs to the phase where Mondrian dismantles the cubist motif to retain its lines of force. In "Composition n° XVI, Composition 1 (Trees)", the fragments are organized without obvious narrative center; the image advances towards autonomy, but still retains some traces of the visible world. The edges of "Composition n° XVI, Composition 1 (Trees)" count as much as its center: several lines seem to continue outside the frame, which gives the composition a magnitude greater than its material format.
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#57
Composition Trees II
With "Tree Composition II", the shapes do not only represent something: they establish between them a living order, firm without being stiff. "Tree Composition II" belongs to the phase where Mondrian dismantles the cubist motif to retain its lines of force. In "Tree Composition II", the fragments are organized without an obvious narrative center; the image advances towards autonomy, but still retains some traces of the visible world. The gaze travels through "Tree Composition II" in leaps, slows down in front of a color, then leaves along a line; this optical rhythm explains its tension without requiring the slightest character.
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#58
Tree composition 1 (unfinished)
The experience of "Tree Composition 1 (Unfinished)" begins with clarity and continues with a series of discreet, almost musical tensions. "Tree Composition 1 (unfinished)" belongs to the phase where Mondrian dismantles the cubist motif to retain its lines of force. In "Tree Composition 1 (unfinished)", the fragments are organized without an obvious narrative center; the image advances towards autonomy, but still retains some traces of the visible world. The surface of "Tree composition 1 (unfinished)" remains deliberately direct, but never uniform. In "Tree composition 1 (unfinished)", the slight differences in material and proportion remind us that it is a hand-thought-out painting, not an exercise taken out of an automatic ruler.
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#59
Composition n° X (authentic)
In "Composition n° X (authentic)", the void has as much authority as the painted parts, and this equality gives the whole its singular breathing. "Composition n° X (authentic)" belongs to the phase where Mondrian dismantles the cubist motif to retain its lines of force. In "Composition n° X (authentic)", the fragments are organized without an obvious narrative center; the picture advances towards autonomy, but still retains some traces of the visible world. The singularity of "Composition n° X (authentic)" is due to the intervals: Mondrian varies the widths, shifts the crossings and prevents the balance from transforming into well-combed symmetry.
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#60
Table n° 2/Composition n° VII
The construction of "Table n° 2/Composition n° VII" is based on severe economy, but Mondrian leaves enough gaps for the eye to never walk in step. "Table n° 2/Composition n° VII" belongs to the phase where Mondrian dismantles the cubist motif to retain its main lines. In "Table n° 2/Composition n° VII", the fragments are organized without an obvious narrative center; the image advances towards autonomy, but still retains some traces of the visible world. The surface of "Table n° 2/Composition n° VII" remains deliberately direct, but never uniform. In "Table n° 2/Composition n° VII", the slight differences in material and proportion remind us that it is a hand-thought-out painting, not an exercise taken out of an automatic ruler.
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#61
Composition n° XIII/Composition 2
From the first look at "Composition n° XIII/Composition 2", the balance of power appears above all narrative and establishes a very concrete tension between stability and movement. "Composition n° XIII/Composition 2" belongs to the phase where Mondrian dismantles the cubist motif to retain its lines of force. In "Composition n° XIII/Composition 2", the fragments are organized without obvious narrative center; the image advances towards autonomy, but still retains some traces of the visible world. The balance of "Composition n° XIII/Composition 2" is not immobile: it results from opposing tensions which are maintained without neutralizing each other, like a very serious dance which would still have heard jazz.
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#62
Composition XIV
With "Composition XIV", the eye first encounters a precise organization, then discovers that this rigor allows much more energy to circulate than it promises. In "Composition XIV", Mondrian regulates each relationship of line, color and void as an active relationship. In "Composition XIV", nothing is laid to fill the surface: the gaps, the asymmetries and the interruptions build a balance that seems simple only after a long look. In "Composition XIV", the right angle prohibits neither movement nor visual humor: it is enough for one color to arrive a little earlier than expected for the entire composition to change tempo.
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#63
Composition n° 11
Faced with "Composition n° 11", the composition does not deliver everything at once: it reveals itself through deviations, repetitions and successive shifts of the gaze. "Composition n° 11" belongs to the phase where Mondrian dismantles the cubist motif to retain its main lines. In "Composition n° 11", the fragments are organized without an obvious narrative center; the image advances towards autonomy, but retains still some traces of the visible world. In "Composition n° 11", color acts as a force rather than as a filling. In "Composition n° 11", a small blue or a larger red can move the whole without noise, but certainly not without consequences.
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#64
Composition with color plans 4
The first force of "Composition with color planes 4" comes from its internal rhythm, where each element seems to respond to a neighbor without ever completely obeying him. In "Composition with color planes 4", Mondrian regulates each line, color and void ratio as an active relationship. In "Composition with color planes 4", Mondrian adjusts each line, color and void ratio as an active relationship. In "Composition with color planes 4", nothing is laid to fill the surface: deviations, asymmetries and interruptions build a balance that seems simple only after a long work of the gaze. "Composition with color planes 4" shows how much Mondrian prefers the relationship to the isolated object. In "Composition with color planes 4", a line only fully exists through the color it borders, the void it cuts and the rhythm it transmits.
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#65
composition n° 3 with flat areas of color
In "composition n° 3 with flat areas of color", space is constructed by measured tensions; the apparent calm quickly resembles a particularly lively conversation between the shapes. "composition n° 3 with flat areas of color" belongs to the phase where Mondrian dismantles the cubist motif to retain its lines of force. In "composition n° 3 with flat areas of color", the fragments are organized without an obvious narrative center; the image advances towards autonomy, but still retains some traces of the visible world. In "composition n° 3 with flat areas of color", the light areas are not a passive background: they modify the weight of the colors and give the lines the space necessary to breathe.
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#66
Color composition A
What is striking about "Color Composition A" is how a tiny decision is enough to change the breathing of the entire surface. In "Color Composition A", Mondrian adjusts each line, color and void ratio as an active relationship. In "Color Composition A", nothing is laid to fill the surface: gaps, asymmetries and interruptions build a balance that seems simple only after a long look. In "Color Composition A", color acts as a force rather than a filler. In "Color Composition A", a small blue or larger red can move the whole thing noiselessly, but certainly not without consequences.
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#67
Color composition B
Through "Color Composition B", Mondrian transforms structure into a visual experience: the eye moves forward, hesitates, compares and eventually finds its own tempo. In "Color Composition B", Mondrian adjusts each line, color and void ratio as an active relationship. In "Color Composition B", Mondrian adjusts each line, color and void ratio as an active relationship. In "Color Composition B", nothing is laid to fill the surface: the gaps, the asymmetries and interruptions build a balance that only seems simple after a long look. The gaze skims through "Color Composition B", slows down in front of a color, then starts again along a line; this optical rhythm explains its tension without requiring the slightest character.
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#68
Composition with raster 6: result, composition with colors
Under the apparent restraint of "Composition with raster 6: result, composition with colors", several opposing movements coexist and give the image a vitality that does not depend on any spectacular effect. In "Composition with Raster 6: Result, Composition with Colors", Mondrian adjusts each line, color and void ratio as an active relationship. In "Composition with raster 6: result, composition with colors", nothing is placed to fill the surface: the gaps, asymmetries and interruptions build a balance which only seems simple after a long work of the gaze. "Composition with raster 6: result, composition with colors" shows how much Mondrian prefers the relationship to the isolated object. In "Composition with raster 6: result, composition with colors", a line only fully exists through the color it borders, the void it cuts and the rhythm it transmits.
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#69
Rastercompositie 9: The dambordcomposite contains different colors
"Rastercompositie 9: the dambordcomposite contains different colors" imposes an immediate presence, but its true richness appears when the proportions begin to dialogue with each other. In "Rastercompositie 9: The dambordcomposite contains different colors", Mondrian adjusts each line, color and void ratio as an active relationship. In " Rastercompositie 9: the dambordcomposite contains different colors", nothing is placed to fill the surface: the gaps, asymmetries and interruptions build a balance which only seems simple after a long work of the gaze. The balance of "Rastercompositie 9: the dambordcomposite contains different colors" is not immobile: it results from tensions opposites which maintain themselves without neutralizing each other, like a very serious dance which would still have heard jazz.
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#70
Fox Trot B, with black, red, blue and yellow
The balance of "Fox Trot B, with black, red, blue and yellow" is never based on easy symmetry; it arises from a cleverly organized disagreement between the different zones. For "Fox Trot B, with black, red, blue and yellow": Fox Trot B inscribes the dance even in its title. For this version of "Fox Trot B, with black, red, blue and yellow": Fox Trot B inscribes the dance even in its title. For this version of "Fox Trot B, with black, red, blue and yellow": Fox Trot B inscribes the dance even in its title. For this version of "Fox Trot B, with black, red, blue and yellow": The relationships between black, red, blue and yellow": The relationships between black do not tell any scenes, but produce a visual tempo where each interval counts as silence in the music. "Fox Trot B, with black, red, blue and yellow" shows how much Mondrian prefers the relationship to the isolated object. In "Fox Trot B, with black, red, blue and yellow", a line only fully exists through the color it borders, the void it cuts and the rhythm it transmits.
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#71
Trafalgar Square
By observing "Trafalgar Square", we understand that simplicity in Mondrian is a result, never a shortcut or an absence of decisions. For "Trafalgar Square": Started in London then reworked in New York, Trafalgar Square belongs to so-called transatlantic paintings. For this version of "Trafalgar Square": Started in London then reworked in New York, Trafalgar Square belongs to so-called transatlantic paintings. For this version of "Trafalgar Square": The colored lines and covers make it visible mondrian's movement between two cities and two historical rhythms. "Trafalgar Square" is dated 1939-1943. In "Trafalgar Square", the work is kept at the Museum of Modern Art, New York. In "Trafalgar Square", its format is 145.2 x 120 cm. In "Trafalgar Square", its format is 145.2 x 120 cm. In "Trafalgar Square", mondrian created it in oil on canvas. In "Trafalgar Square", mondrian created it in oil on canvas. The gaze travels through "Trafalgar Square" in leaps and bounds, slowing down in front of one color, then starts again along a line; this optical rhythm explains its tension without requiring the slightest character.
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#72
New York City, 3 (unfinished)
The movement of "New York City, 3 (unfinished)" is played out less in a visible gesture than in the silent circulation between lines, colors and intervals. For "New York City, 3 (unfinished)": The New York City compositions mark the transition from the European grid to a more mobile network of colored bands. For this version of "New York City, 3 (unfinished)": The New York City compositions mark the transition from the European grid to a more mobile network of colored bands. For this version of "New York City, 3 (unfinished)": Some remained unfinished, which allows Mondrian to test the positions as a composer moves a few more notes before the concert. "New York City, 3 (unfinished)" is read slowly, because each decision responds to another: one horizontal stabilizes, one vertical restarts, one white reserve prevents the colors from all speaking at the same time.
Discover →![New York City 2 [inachevé, anciennement New York City III] - Piet Mondrian image 1 copie peinte à la main à l’huile](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0549/9656/6169/files/new-york-city-2-inacheve-anciennement-iii-piet-mondrian-image-1-copie.jpg?v=1780660451)
#73
New York City 2 [unfinished
Each part of "New York City 2 [unfinished" has its own weight, and the work finds its accuracy in the way these weights refuse to cancel each other out. For "New York City 2 [unfinished": The New York City compositions mark the transition from the European grid to a more mobile network of colored bands. For this version of "New York City 2 [unfinished": The New York City compositions mark the transition from the European grid to a more mobile network of colored bands. For this version of "New York City 2 [unfinished": Some remained unfinished, which allows Mondrian to test the positions as a composer moves a few more notes before the concert. In "New York City 2 [unfinished", the work is kept at the Museum of Modern Art. "New York City 2 [unfinished" is read slowly, because each decision responds to another: one horizontal stabilizes, one vertical restarts, one white reserve prevents the colors from all speaking at the same time.
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#74
Composition n° 11, 1940-42-LONDON, with blue, red and yellow
The particular tension of "Composition n° 11, 1940-42--LONDON, with blue, red and yellow" comes from its shifts: nothing is centered by reflex, nothing is repeated with perfect docility. "Composition n° 11, 1940-42-LONDON, with blue, red and yellow" belongs to the years when Mondrian translated the rhythm of large cities into crossings, intervals and colored pulsations. In " Composition n° 11, 1940-42--LONDON, with blue, red and yellow", the street is never literally illustrated: it becomes a visual energy, precise enough to remain orderly and lively enough not to take the grid for a punishment. "Composition n° 11, 1940-42-LONDON, with blue, red and yellow" is dated 1940. The gaze travels through "Composition n° 11, 1940-42-LONDON, with blue, red and yellow" is dated 1940. The gaze travels through "Composition n° 11, 1940-42-LONDON, with blue, red and yellow" is dated 1940. The gaze travels through "Composition n° 11, 1940-42-LONDON, with blue, red and yellow" is dated 1940. The gaze travels through "Composition n° red and yellow" jumps, slows down in front of a color, then starts again along a line; this optical rhythm explains its tension without requiring the slightest character.
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#75
Composition n° 1 with gray and red 1938 /Composition with red 1939
"Composition n° 1 with gray and red 1938 /Composition with red 1939" requires a mobile look, attentive to the edges as well as to the center and to the silences as well as to the colored accents. "Composition n° 1 with gray and red 1938 /Composition with red 1939" belongs to the phase where Mondrian dismantles the cubist motif to retain its lines of force. In "Composition n° 1 with gray and red 1938 /Composition with red 1939" belongs to the phase where Mondrian dismantles the cubist motif to retain its lines of force. In "Composition n° 1 with gray and red 1938 /Composition with red 1939", the fragments are organized without an obvious narrative center; the image advances towards autonomy, but still retains some traces of the visible world. "Composition n° 1 with gray and red 1938 /Composition with red 1939" is dated 1938-1939. "Composition n° 1 with gray and red 1938 /Composition with red 1939" is dated 1938-1939. "Composition n° 1 with gray and red 1938 /Composition with red 1939" is dated 1938-1939. "Composition n° 1 with gray and red 1938 /Composition with red 1939" is dated 1938-1939. "Composition n° 1 with gray and red 1938 answers another: a horizontal stabilizes, a vertical restarts, a white reserve prevents the colors from all speaking at the same time.
Discover →Naturalist and luminist works reveal the long preparation of a language that has become universal.
#76
Composition 9 with black, white, yellow and red
The composition of "Composition 9 with black, white, yellow and red" appears sharp, but this sharpness contains calculated hesitations that prevent the image from freezing. In "Composition 9 with black, white, yellow and red", Mondrian adjusts each line, color and void ratio as an active relationship. In "Composition 9 with black, white, yellow and red", Mondrian adjusts each line, color and void ratio as an active relationship. In "Composition 9 with black, white, yellow and red", Mondrian adjusts each line, color and void ratio as an active relationship. In "Composition 9 with black, white, yellow and red, nothing is placed to fill the surface: gaps, asymmetries and interruptions build a balance which seems simple only after a long work of the gaze. "Composition 9 with black, white, yellow and red" is read slowly, because each decision responds to another: a horizontal stabilizes, a vertical restarts, a white reserve prevents them colors all speak at the same time.
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#77
Composition with yellow lines
With "Composition with yellow lines", the shapes do not only represent something: they establish between them a living order, firm without being stiff. In "Composition with Yellow Lines", Mondrian regulates each relationship of line, color and void as an active relationship. In "Composition with yellow lines", Mondrian regulates each relationship of line, color and void as an active relationship. In "Composition with yellow lines", nothing is laid to fill the surface: the deviations, asymmetries and interruptions build a balance that seems simple only after a long work of the gaze. The singularity of "Composition with yellow lines" lies in the intervals: Mondrian varies the widths, shifts the crossings and prevents the balance from transforming into well-combed symmetry.
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#78
Composition in white and black II
The experience of "Composition in White and Black II" begins with clarity and continues with a series of discreet, almost musical tensions. In "Composition in White and Black II", Mondrian regulates each relationship of line, color and void as an active relationship. In "Composition in White and Black II", Mondrian regulates each relationship of line, color and void as an active relationship. In "Composition in White and Black II", nothing is laid to fill the surface: the gaps, the asymmetries and the interruptions build a balance that seems simple only after a long work of the gaze. The balance of "Composition in white and black II" is not immobile: it results from opposing tensions which are maintained without neutralizing each other, like a very serious dance which would still have heard jazz.
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#79
Still life in ginger pot I
In "Still Life in the Ginger Pot I", the void has as much authority as the painted parts, and this equality gives the whole its singular breathing. "Still Life in the Ginger Pot I" reminds us that Mondrian worked for a long time in front of objects and flowers. In "Still Life in the Ginger Pot I", he experiences the outline, the weight of shapes and the color accords; this concrete attention explains why his late abstractions never float randomly. The edges of "Still Life in Ginger Pot I" count as much as its center: several lines seem to continue out of the frame, which gives the composition a magnitude greater than its material format.
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#80
Still life in ginger pot II
The construction of "Still Life in a Ginger Pot II" is based on severe savings, but Mondrian leaves enough gaps for the eye to never walk in step. "Still Life in a Ginger Pot II" reminds us that Mondrian worked for a long time in front of objects and flowers. In "Still Life in a Ginger Pot II", he experiences the outline, the weight of shapes and the accords of color; this concrete attention explains why his late abstractions never float randomly. The balance of "Still Life in the Ginger Pot II" is not immobile: it results from opposing tensions which are maintained without neutralizing each other, like a very serious dance which would still have heard jazz.
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#81
Apple tree in blue
From the first look at "Apple Tree in Blue", the balance of power appears above all narrative and establishes a very concrete tension between stability and movement. With "Apple Tree in Blue", Mondrian observes how a plant motif can become structure. In "Apple Tree in Blue", trunk, branches and voids organize the surface even before the landscape disappears; nature provides it problem, then the painter patiently tightens the answer. The surface of "Apple Tree in Blue" remains deliberately direct, but never uniform. In "Apple Tree in Blue", the slight differences in material and proportion remind us that it is a hand-designed painting, not an exercise taken out of an automatic ruler.
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#82
Apple tree in blue with wavy lines I
With "Apple tree in blue with wavy lines I", the eye first encounters a precise organization, then discovers that this rigor allows much more energy to circulate than it promises. With "Apple tree in blue with wavy lines I", Mondrian observes how a plant motif can become structure. In "Apple tree in blue with wavy lines I", Mondrian observes how a plant motif can become structure. In "Apple tree in blue with wavy lines I", trunk, branches and voids organize the surface even before the landscape disappears; nature provides the problem, then the painter patiently tightens the answer. In "Apple tree in blue with wavy lines I", color acts as a force rather than a filler. In "Apple tree in blue with wavy lines I", color acts as a force rather than a filler. In "Apple tree in blue with wavy lines I", a small blue or a larger red can move the whole thing without noise, but certainly not without consequences.
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#83
Composition n°IV
Faced with "Composition n°IV", the composition does not deliver everything at once: it reveals itself through deviations, repetitions and successive shifts of the gaze. "Composition n°IV" belongs to the phase where Mondrian dismantles the cubist motif to retain its main lines. In "Composition n°IV", the fragments are organized without an obvious narrative center; the image advances towards autonomy, but retains a few more traces of the visible world. The surface of "Composition n°IV" remains deliberately direct, but never uniform. In "Composition n°IV", the slight differences in material and proportion remind us that it is a hand-thought-out painting, not an exercise taken out of an automatic ruler.
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#84
Horizontal tree
The first strength of "Horizontal Tree" comes from its internal rhythm, where each element seems to respond to a neighbor without ever completely obeying them. With "Horizontal Tree", Mondrian observes how a plant pattern can become structure. In "Horizontal Tree", trunk, branches and voids organize the surface even before the landscape disappears; nature provides the problem, then the painter patiently tightens the answer. The gaze travels "Horizontal Tree" in leaps, slows down in front of a color, then starts again along a line; this optical rhythm explains its tension without requiring the slightest character.
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#85
Tree A
In "Tree A", space is constructed by measured tensions; the apparent calm quickly resembles a particularly lively conversation between forms. With "Tree A", Mondrian observes how a plant motif can become structure. In "Tree A", trunk, branches and voids organize the surface even before the landscape disappears; nature provides the problem, then the painter tightens it patiently the answer. In "Tree A", the work is kept at Tate Modern. The edges of "Tree A" count as much as its center: several lines seem to continue out of the frame, which gives the composition a magnitude greater than its material format.
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#86
Trees
What is striking about "Trees" is how a tiny decision is enough to change the breathing of the entire surface. In "Trees", Mondrian adjusts each relationship of line, color and void as an active relationship. In "Trees", nothing is placed to fill the surface: gaps, asymmetries and interruptions build a balance that only seems simple after a long look. The gaze travels "Trees" in leaps, slows down in front of a color, then starts again along a line; this optical rhythm explains its tension without requiring the slightest character.
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#87
Flowering trees
Through "Trees in Flowers", Mondrian transforms the structure into a visual experience: the eye moves forward, hesitates, compares and eventually finds its own tempo. In "Trees in Flowers", Mondrian adjusts each relationship of line, color and emptiness as an active relationship. In "Trees in Flowers", Mondrian adjusts each relationship of line, color and emptiness as an active relationship. In "Trees in Flowers", nothing is placed to fill the surface: gaps, asymmetries and interruptions build a balance that seems simple only after a long look. The gaze travels through "Trees in Flowers" in leaps, slows down in front of a color, then starts again along a line; this optical rhythm explains its tension without requiring the slightest character.
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#88
Row of eleven red, yellow, blue and green poplars
Under the apparent restraint of "Row of eleven red, yellow, blue and green poplars", several opposing movements coexist and give the image a vitality which does not depend on any spectacular effect. In "Row of Eleven Red, Yellow, Blue and Green Poplars", Mondrian adjusts each line, color and void ratio as an active relationship. In "Row of eleven poplars red, yellow, blue and green, nothing is placed to fill the surface: gaps, asymmetries and interruptions build a balance which only seems simple after a long work of the gaze. The singularity of "Row of eleven red, yellow, blue and green poplars" lies in the intervals: Mondrian varies the widths, shifts the crossings and prevents the balance from occurring transform into well-combed symmetry.
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#89
Two trees with orange foliage against the blue sky
"Two trees with orange foliage against the blue sky" imposes an immediate presence, but its true richness appears when the proportions begin to dialogue with each other. In "Two Trees with Orange Foliage Against the Blue Sky", Mondrian adjusts each relationship of line, color and emptiness as an active relationship. In "Two trees with orange foliage against the blue sky", nothing is placed to fill the surface: gaps, asymmetries and interruptions build a balance which only seems simple after a long work of the gaze. "Two trees with orange foliage against the blue sky" shows how much Mondrian prefers the relationship to the isolated object. In "Two trees with orange foliage against the blue sky", a line only fully exists through the color it borders, the void it cuts and the rhythm it transmits.
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#90
Blue Willow I
The balance of "Blue Willow I" is never based on easy symmetry; it arises from a cleverly organized disagreement between the different zones. With "Blue Willow I", Mondrian observes how a plant motif can become structure. In "Blue Willow I", trunk, branches and voids organize the surface even before the landscape disappears; nature provides the problem, then the painter tightens it patiently the answer. The surface of "Blue Willow I" remains deliberately direct, but never uniform. In "Blue Willow I", the slight differences in material and proportion remind us that it is a hand-thought-out painting, not an exercise taken out of an automatic ruler.
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#91
Blue Willow II
By observing "Blue Willow II", we understand that simplicity in Mondrian is a result, never a shortcut or an absence of decisions. With "Blue Willow II", Mondrian observes how a plant motif can become structure. In "Blue Willow II", trunk, branches and voids organize the surface even before the landscape disappears; nature provides the problem, then the painter tightens it patiently the answer. The surface of "Blue Willow II" remains deliberately direct, but never uniform. In "Blue Willow II", the slight differences in material and proportion remind us that it is a hand-thought-out painting, not an exercise taken out of an automatic ruler.
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#92
The Winkel Mill, pointillist version
The movement of "The Winkel Mill, pointillist version" is played out less in a visible gesture than in the silent circulation between lines, colors and intervals. In "The Winkel Mill, pointillist version", the architecture gives Mondrian a play of verticals, horizontals and colored masses that is already very constructed. In "The Winkel Mill, pointillist version", the building remains recognizable, but its silhouette works above all like a rhythm, with more framework than folklore. "The Winkel Mill, pointillist version" is read slowly, because each decision responds to another: a stabilized horizontal, a raised vertical, a white reserve prevents the colors from all speaking at the same time.
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#93
Westkapelle Lighthouse
Each part of "Westkapelle Lighthouse" has its own weight, and the work finds its accuracy in the way these weights refuse to cancel each other out. For "Westkapelle Lighthouse": The Westkapelle Lighthouse offers Mondrian a vertical almost ready for abstraction. For this version of "Westkapelle Lighthouse": The construction dominates the landscape, while the color simplifies the volumes and gives the subject the firmness of a sign. The edges of "Westkapelle Lighthouse" count as much as its center: several lines seem to continue out of the frame, which gives the composition a magnitude greater than its material format.
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#94
Church of Zoutelande
The particular tension of "Church of Zoutelande" comes from its shifts: nothing is centered by reflex, nothing is repeated with perfect docility. For "Church of Zoutelande": The views of the church of Zoutelande use the facade and the tower as an architecture of verticals. For this version of "Church of Zoutelande": The colored light transforms the real building into a study of rhythm, proof that Mondrian already knew how to find a gate in a bell tower. In "Church of Zoutelande", color acts as a force rather than a filler. In "Church of Zoutelande", a small blue or a larger red can move the whole without noise, but certainly not without consequences.
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#95
Sun, Church of Zeeland; Facade of the church of Zoutelande
"Sun, Church of Zeeland; Facade of the church of Zoutelande" requires a mobile look, attentive to the edges as well as to the center and to the silences as well as to the colorful accents. For "Sun, Church of Zeeland; Facade of the church of Zoutelande": The views of the church of Zoutelande use the facade and the tower as vertical architecture. For this version of "Sun, Church of Zeeland; Facade of the church of Zoutelande": The colored light transforms the real building into a study of rhythm, proof that Mondrian already knew how to find a gate in a bell tower. In "Sun, Church of Zeeland; Facade of the church of Zoutelande", the right angle prohibits neither movement nor visual humor: it is enough for one color to arrive a little earlier than expected for the whole composition changes tempo.
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#96
Zeeland Church Tower
The composition of "Zealand Church Tower" appears sharp, but this sharpness contains calculated hesitations that prevent the image from freezing. In "Zealand Church Tower", the architecture gives Mondrian a play of verticals, horizontals and colored masses that is already very constructed. In "Zealand Church Tower", the architecture gives Mondrian a play of verticals, horizontals and colored masses that is already very constructed. In "Zealand Church Tower", the building remains recognizable, but its silhouette works mainly as a rhythm, with more framework than folklore. The edges of "Zealand Church Tower" count as much as its center: several lines seem to continue outside the frame, which gives the composition a scale greater than its material format.
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#97
Church in Domburg
With "Church in Domburg", the shapes not only represent something: they establish between them a living order, firm without being stiff. In "Church in Domburg", architecture gives Mondrian a set of verticals, horizontals and colored masses that is already very constructed. In "Church in Domburg", the building remains recognizable, but its silhouette works above all as one rhythm, with more framework than folklore. The gaze travels through "Church in Domburg" in leaps, slows down in front of a color, then leaves along a line; this optical rhythm explains its tension without requiring the slightest character.
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#98
Dune III
The experience of "Dune III" begins with clarity and continues with a series of discreet, almost musical tensions. For "Dune III": Dune III continues the study of the horizontal planes of the coast of Zeeland. For this version of "Dune III": The simplified colors and the layout of the terrain discreetly prepare the surface relationships which will govern the abstract works. "Dune III shows how much Mondrian prefers the relationship to the isolated object. In "Dune III", a line only fully exists through the color it borders, the void it cuts and the rhythm it transmits.
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#99
Summer, Dune in Zeeland
In "Summer, Dune in Zeeland", the void has as much authority as the painted parts, and this equality gives the whole its singular breathing. "Summer, Dune in Zeeland" shows Mondrian grappling with the horizon, the strips of terrain and the breathing of the sky. In "Summer, Dune in Zeeland", the landscape becomes simpler without flattening: a few connections are enough to make the expanse felt which spares the sea the need to pose for photography. "Summer, Dune in Zeeland" shows how much Mondrian prefers the relationship to the isolated object. In "Summer, Dune in Zeeland", a line only fully exists through the color it borders, the void it cuts and the rhythm it transmits.
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#100
Dunes near Domburg
The construction of "Dunes near Domburg" is based on severe economy, but Mondrian leaves enough gaps there so that the eye never walks in step. In "Dunes near Domburg", Mondrian regulates each relationship of line, color and void as an active relationship. In "Dunes near Domburg", Mondrian adjusts each relationship of line, color and void as an active relationship. In "Dunes near Domburg", nothing is laid to fill the surface: gaps, asymmetries and interruptions build a balance that seems simple only after a long work of looking. "Dunes near Domburg" shows how much Mondrian prefers the relationship to the isolated object. In "Dunes near Domburg", a line only fully exists through the color it borders, the void it cuts and the rhythm it transmits.
Discover →What the ranking reveals
One hundred paintings, three decisive moves
Mondrian does not suddenly move from landscape to checkerboard. It gradually simplifies the branches, the horizon and the architecture, then transforms this framework into an autonomous language before giving it the rhythm of New York.
Nature provides structure
Trees, facades, piers and mills teach the painter vertical, horizontal and the tension between planes.
Asymmetry produces balance
Late compositions are not based on a decorative recipe: each rectangle modifies the weight of all the others.
The city sets the pace free
In New York, black lines fragment into colorful sequences that evoke streets, lights and syncopated music.
A trajectory towards neoplasticism
Five benchmarks to follow Mondrian
Mondrian grew up in the Netherlands and trained in a landscape tradition which would remain the basis of his research.
Mills, dunes and trees adopt powerful reds, blues and yellows; reality begins to detach itself from its usual colors.
The pattern fragments, the shades tighten and the space shifts towards an organization of planes and lines.
With Theo van Doesburg and the magazine De Stijl, Mondrian formulates an art based on pure relationships of lines, colors and planes.
Broadway Boogie Woogie transforms the grid into an urban rhythm; rigor discovers that she also knows how to listen to jazz.
Mondrian in depth
Piet Mondrian: reading a work through subject, material and time
Piet Mondrian goes through the history of art with a recognizable signature: a way of framing, of making light work, of organizing bodies, landscapes or colors. A good classification should therefore not only align the titles. It must show how the works respond to each other, how one period prepares for the next, and why certain paintings continue to come back into museums, books and decoration desires.
The first rows favor the most identifiable images: those which summarize an era, a visual invention or a presence that has become essential. Then, the journey broadens towards paintings that are sometimes less noisy, but very useful for understanding the painter. This is often where we discover the best surprises: a calmer composition, a fairer detail, a scene that didn't need to arrive with fanfare to stay in memory.
Factual data plays a real role here. When Wikipedia or Wikidata allows you to check a date, a collection, a museum or dimensions, the description gains solidity. We no longer just look at a beautiful image: we locate the work in a time, a place and a scale. A two-meter canvas does not tell the world like a small, discreet panel, even if both can have a lot of character.
The classification also remains designed for reading. Each painting must have a reason to be in the Top: significant subject, historical importance, quality of composition, role in the evolution of the artist or simple visual power. If one work looks like another, the description should explain the difference, not put a vocabulary mustache on the same paragraph and hope that nobody notices.
In terms of decoration, Piet Mondrian allows you to choose an atmosphere even before choosing a format: intensity of a portrait, breath of a landscape, density of a historical scene, calm of a more intimate composition. A famous painting is not only a reassuring name. It is a presence in a room, sometimes very elegant, sometimes frankly dominating, but rarely indifferent when it is well chosen.
Four reading keys
How to look at a Mondrian painting
Line, proportion, color and rhythm make it possible to distinguish compositions often wrongly reduced to a simple decorative grid.
Track interruptions
Observing where a vertical begins, stops, or meets a horizontal reveals the active framework of the painting.
Weigh the intervals
A large white field and a small red square do not play the same role, but they are defined by each other.
Identify accents
Red, blue and yellow do not fill the surface: they shift the balance and set the tempo with their gaze.
Compare Paris and New York
The continuous lines of European works are gradually giving way to faster and syncopated colored sequences.
Works, museums and catalogs
Continue after the hundredth composition
The Kunstmuseum Den Haag, MoMA, the National Gallery of Art, the RKD catalog raisonné, Wikipedia and Wikidata allow you to check titles, dates, dimensions and collections. Such a precise grid deserves sources that stand up straight.
In Alpha Reproduction
01Piet MondrianThe Masters of Piet Mondrian02Piet MondrianCollections & guides03All reproductions of paintingsCollections & guidesMuseums and references
01Kunstmuseum Den Haag - Mondrian & By StijlMuseum & reference02MoMA - Piet MondrianMuseum & reference03National Gallery of Art - Piet MondrianMuseum & reference04RKD - Catalog raisonné of Piet MondrianMuseum & reference05Wikipedia - Piet MondrianMuseum & reference06Wikidata - Piet MondrianMuseum & reference07Wikimedia Commons - Piet MondrianMuseum & referenceFrequently asked questions
Mondrian without reducing his work to three colors
The essential answers to understanding neoplasticism, De Stijl, youthful landscapes and the latest New York paintings.
Which Piet Mondrian painting to choose first?
Why make a Top 100 dedicated to Piet Mondrian?
Because a single masterpiece never tells everything. A Top 100 allows you to see the series, periods, subject variations and less expected paintings that truly complete the artist's portrait.
Why are dates, museums and dimensions important?
They give reality to the work. A date locates the period, a museum confirms historical circulation, and the dimensions completely change the way of imagining the canvas.
Does the ranking only follow popularity?
No. Popularity matters, but it is crossed with historical importance, availability for reproduction, external sources and the ability of each painting to tell a different part of the artist.
How to avoid duplicates in a Top 100?
The selection checks the titles, works, product pages and connections between subjects. Two close variations can remain if they really tell two different moments, otherwise one must leave its place.
Is a reproduction of Piet Mondrian suitable for modern decoration?
Yes, if you choose according to the room: palette, format, intensity of the subject and reading distance. A strong painting can structure a wall, but it is better to give it some air.
Why do some less famous works appear?
Because they complete the story. The icons open the door, but the secondary works show the research, transitions and visual obsessions that make the artist truly interesting.
How to read descriptions without jargon?
First look at the subject, the light, the composition and the concrete benchmarks. Scholarly vocabulary can wait: a good picture often begins with something that the eye understands before theory.
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