Piet Mondrian1872 – 1944 Dutch Painter

Piet Mondrian began as an artist by painting realistic landscapes

Piet changed the way he painted.

He didn’t want his pictures to look like nature.

He wanted to explore how color and line worked together.

Over time, Piet’s work became more simplified. Piet did not use details and he only used a few colors the primary colors.

In addition to using just the primary colors, Piet liked to use

horizontal &

vertical

lines in his art.

For many years Piet used only black, white, gray and the 3 primary colors in his work.

He was always trying to find a perfect balance in his art.

Sometimes he would change the thickness of the lines. Other times he would place the lines close together or far apart.

When Piet was 68 years old, he moved to New York City. The skyscrapers and the straight lines of the streets may have inspired some of his paintings!

What type of feelings do you sense when viewing this work?

Broad Way Boogie1942 – 43Oil on Canvass50 x 50 inchesMuseum of Modern Art New York City

Piet MondrianComposition with Yellow, Black, Blue, Red and GreyOil On Canvass1921

How do you feel about the the canvass position?