Mondrian – (Creating Space with Colour)

Piet Mondrian - The Red Tree - 1908-10 - 70 x 99 cm - oil on canvas

In this traditional rendering of a tree, Mondrian has not only brought colour to the forefront, he has also used colour to create the sense of space.  We immediately respond to the relationship of the blue and orange.  Our eye reads the orange as coming forward  and then continue to the receding blue.  We then connect to the rhythms in the tree and come to a beautiful pause at the top right.

By restricting his palette Mondrian has emphasised colour and used colour as spatial planes.

Combining Fauvist and Cubist considerations provided Mondrian the opportunity for experimentation and growth and he refined these superbly.

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