Today Piet Mondrian "is considered a seminal figure within the development of abstraction, and his oeuvre exerted significant influence on subsequent artists and movements, including the Bauhaus and later Minimilism. His works are included in numerous museum collections worldwide ..." (Sothebys.com). Before arriving at the point of his renown, however, Mondrian "went through many stylistic phases, as his paintings evolved from landscapes and still lifes that looked backwards at time-honored Dutch traditions, to the scintillating geometric canvasses for which he remains best known today." I will explore Mondrian's life and works in a five-part series inclusive of this post.
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| Tableau I, 1921 Piet Mondrian |
Before I begin my exploration of Mondrian's life and works, let us take a look at the Dutch art world that existed at his birth. First, there was a hierarchy in terms of painterly works, with history paintings (included mythology, allegory, and religion; was generally done on a larger scale; and also included recent history) at the top of the pecking order followed by portraiture, genre painting (figures engaged in ordinary activities), still life, and landscape, in that order. There were some aspects of this art hierarchy that were pronounced/unique to Holland: (i) In the still-life arena, animal paintings were popular and (ii) landscapes tended more towards seascapes.
The requirements of the Calvinist theology led to the formation of a new painting regime focused on church interiors. Calvinism held that imagery was idolatrous and, as such, no paintings were allowed in churches. Instead, the focus in the interior of the church was on geometric harmony and balance and artists of the day sought to capture those structures and effects on canvas.
Mondrian was born on March 7th, 1872, in Amersfoort -- a city and municipality in the province of Utrecht -- the second of five children born to Pieter Cornelius Mondriaan and Johnanna Christina Mondriaan. His father was a devout Calvinist who spent his entire career teaching drawing in Calvinist schools. When Piet was 8 years old, his father was promoted to Headmaster of a Calvinist primary school, prompting a family move to Winterswijk. Piet lived in that town until he was 20 years old.
Both his father and uncle gave him guidance and instruction when he began studying drawing at age 14. His uncle -- Fritz Mondriaan -- belonged to the Hague School of landscape painting and had been taught by William Marz, a famed member of that selfsame school.
Piet was bent on becoming a painter but sought to mitigate the concerns of his family by gaining a degree in education first and by 1892 he was qualified to teach drawing in secondary schools. In furtherance of his painting goals he began taking lessons in 1892 in a small town close to his residence. He subsequently moved to Amsterdam to register at the Rijksacademie where he excelled. While in Amsterdam, Piet earned his keep by selling copies of old masterpieces.
He became a member of the Kunstliefde art society in Utrecht and had his first paintings exhibited in 1893. He joined two local artist societies in Amsterdam in 1894 and had a second exhibition of his works in 1897.
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| Piet Mondriaan |
Up to the turn of the century, Piet's paintings followed the trajectory of contemporary Netherlands art. He painted landscapes and still lifes of the areas surrounding Amsterdam.
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| Wood with Beech Trees, 1899 Piet Mondrian |
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| Mill of Heeswijk Sun, 1904 Piet Mondrian |
In 1903 he visited a friend in Brabant and stayed over until the following year. The "calm beauty and cleanliness of the landscape" impacted him, as evidenced by the nature of his work post his return to Amsterdam in 1905. The landscapes he began painting had a "pronounced rythmic framework and a compositional structure rather than toward the traditional picturesque values of light and shade."
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| Willow Grove: Impression of Light and Shadow, c. 1905 Piet Mondrian |
Piet had his first one-man exhibition in 1909, the same year that he became a member of the Theosophic Society. The Society was a spiritual organization centered around the teachings of Buddhism with "prevalent influence in Europe at the start of the 20th century." His involvement "led to a level of spirituality in his paintings which he believed helped his ... audiences reach a holy type of realm when viewing his works." "His involvement within Theosophy went on to influence Mondrian's goal of portraying absolute harmony in his works."
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