International Journal of Art and Art History

Piet Mondrian on the Principles of Neo–Plasticism
Louis Veen, PhD

Abstract
Piet Mondrian was not only a painter, but also a prolific writer. He wrote more than a hundred essays on the subject of art and society in Dutch, French, and English. Mondrian was absolutely convinced that the structuring daily life according to the visible simplicity and the tangible balance of his Neoplastic paintings, would result in an enhanced moral and physical wellbeing of mankind. In his French writing „Principes généraux du Néo–plasticisme‟ (General Principles of Neo–Plasticism), Mondrian explained, short and to the point, the basic principles of his art and its profound importance for human society. This Mondrian essay is the subject of the present article. First and foremost Mondrian was a painter and not a writer, and consequently his theory had arisen from the practice of painting, and not vice versa. Hence it is very illuminating to look also at what he painted when he worked on the „Principes généraux du Néo–plasticisme‟.

Full Text: PDF       DOI: 10.15640/ijaah.v5n2a1