Piet Mondrian

Mondrian's Composition No. 10.

Introduction

Mondrian was of paramount importance to the initiation of geometric abstraction for modern art during World War I. He was the principal voice and exemplar of neoplasticism in Dutch painting as well as one of the founders of the Dutch modern movement in architecture and design known as de Stijl, a movement that influenced the International style in building construction during the 1920’s and 1930’s.

In probably no other single artist can the metamorphosis of specific naturalistic motifs into geometric abstraction be traced and studied more clearly than through Piet Mondrian. What is more important, the transformation of his motifs was not the result of clinical deductive reasoning as they may appear, but the search for spiritual equivalents and a universal language for natural form. In his patient, methodical way, he quietly launched one of the most important arms of twentieth century nonobjective painting, that of geometric abstraction. --