ticketsMember | Make a donation

Composition

1921
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 912
This is an early example of the geometric mode of painting that Mondrian called Neo-Plasticism. The abstract two-dimensional nature of these compositions formed a new universal aesthetic language that was popularized through the magazine De Stijl. The avant-garde movement known by the same name held the promise of constructing a postwar world with a common point of visual reference, a way of abolishing artistic and even social hierarchies. Here, Mondrian uses thick black lines to divide the canvas into eleven different rectangles, some of which are painted in primary shades of red and blue. He created lighter hues by mixing primary colors with white. Over time, Mondrian ceased diluting his palette altogether in favor of pure primary colors.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Composition
  • Artist: Piet Mondrian (Dutch, Amersfoort 1872–1944 New York)
  • Date: 1921
  • Medium: Oil on canvas
  • Dimensions: 19 1/2 × 19 1/2 in. (49.5 × 49.5 cm)
  • Classification: Paintings
  • Credit Line: Jacques and Natasha Gelman Collection, 1998
  • Object Number: 1999.363.57
  • Curatorial Department: Modern and Contemporary Art

More Artwork

More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Farmyard with Sheep (recto); Female Nude (verso), Piet Mondrian Dutch, Conté crayon, charcoal, and graphite
Farmyard with Sheep (recto); Female Nude (verso)
Piet Mondrian
ca. 1905–11
Neue Gestaltung : neoplastizismus, Piet Mondrian Dutch
Neue Gestaltung : neoplastizismus
Piet Mondrian
Albert Langen Verlag
1925
Pier and Ocean 3, Piet Mondrian Dutch, Charcoal on paper
Pier and Ocean 3
Piet Mondrian
1914
Field Bordered by Trees, Piet Mondrian Dutch, Charcoal on paper
Field Bordered by Trees
Piet Mondrian
ca. 1907–8
Windmill with Summerhouse II, Piet Mondrian Dutch, Oil on paper mounted on Masonite
Windmill with Summerhouse II
Piet Mondrian
ca. 1906

Related Content

Publications

Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.