Mondrian and Cubism

Originally published in Dutch to accompany a 2014 exhibition at the Gemeentemuseum Den Haag (now Kunstmuseum Den Haag), this important survey of a pivotal period in the life of Piet Mondrian is now available in English. Drawn to the Cubist work of Georges Braque and Pablo Picasso, Mondrian spent two years in Paris, from 1912 to 1914, that led him to begin experimenting with an entirely original abstract style. Using a cubist palette of grey and ochre, the artist transformed the landscapes and architectural facades of his earlier figurative works into compositional structures of increasing complexity and abstraction. Upon his return to the Netherlands in 1914, the artist exhibited the 17 works he had painted during those two significant years in France. This volume maps Cubism's influence on artists working in the Netherlands at that time, and demonstrates Mondrian's central role in bridging the gap between the French Cubists and their Dutch contemporaries. Accompanying over 300 illustrations including close details of key works is a chronology by Mondrian expert Hans Janssen tracking the artist's development within the context of its time. AUTHORS: Hans Janssen served as Chief Curator of Kunstmuseum Den Haag (formerly known as the Gemeentemuseum), where he worked from 1991 until his death in 2021. Janssen was a renowned specialist in the life and works of Piet Mondrian. Benno Tempel has been Director of Kunstmuseum Den Haag since 2009. He was previously a curator at the Van Gogh Museum and Kunsthal Rotterdam. Keziah Goudsmit has worked for Frieze since 2013, and is a graduate of the Courtauld Institute of Art and Bard College." SELLING POINTS: . Covers a key transitional moment in Mondrian's career - between his earlier figurative landscapes and the brightly coloured and wholly abstract De Stijl paintings the artist is best known for . Explores the influence of French Cubism on the development of Mondrian's distinctive mature style . Explores the artist's abandonment of figurative painting in favour of a Cubist colour palette of grey and brown, a transition period before the primary colours he is known for . Will appeal to those interested in De Stijl, Cubism, and the Parisian art world at the end of the 'Belle Époque' prior to the outbreak of the First World War . In addition to images and details of works, this publication features archival material and a useful and clear timeline by Mondrian expert Hans Janssen . Author Hans Janssen, former chief curator at the Kunstmuseum Den Haag, was a renowned specialist in the artist's life and work; Ridinghouse will also publish Janssen's biography (now translated into English) of Mondrian in 2022, in association with Kunstmuseum Den Haag" 334 colour illustrations