The power of line

PIET MONDRIAN

Piet Mondrian was born in Holland in 1872. He was influenced by many artistic styles. Mondrian's first paintings were painted in a style similar to impressionism.

The red tree, 1908

Then his style changed and he was interested in cubism. He moved to Paris and his paintings were more abstract.

The flowering apple tree, 1912

When he returned home, Mondrian and some friends created a new art movement, De Stijl or neoplasticism.

Composition I with red and blue, 1931

They painted with black straight lines, rectangles, squares and primary colours

Composition No. II,1920

Composition with red, yellow and blue, 1942

He was living in London.

Composition London,1940

Trafalgar Square,1939

He lived in New York and the

black lines were changed for

crossed lines.

New York city I

Broadway boogie-woogie,1942

Mondrian died in 1944

“All painting - the painting

of the past as well as of the

present - shows us that its

essential plastic means we

are only line and color. ”

Piet Mondrian