Composition C

Composition C is a seminal oil on canvas painting created by Piet Mondrian in 1920. This work exemplifies the principles of Neoplasticism, the severe form of abstract art developed by the Dutch artist. During the 1920 period, Mondrian distilled painting down to its purest elements: straight vertical and horizontal lines, and the use of only primary colors (red, yellow, blue) alongside the non-colors white, black, and gray. The precision required for this style is evident in the flawless execution of the lines and fields of color across the canvas.

Mondrian believed that art should transcend the individual and the subjective, striving instead for universal harmony and spiritual order. The composition achieves this through a carefully balanced yet asymmetrical arrangement of planar elements. The work consists of a dense network of black lines of uniform width, which compartmentalize the surface into various rectangular modules. Crucially, not all sections are filled with color; the majority remain pristine white or light gray, emphasizing the tension between painted structure and negative space. This rigid, mathematically derived aesthetic was central to the De Stijl movement, which sought to integrate abstract, total design into architecture and modern life.

The significance of this particular canvas lies in its clear articulation of Mondrian’s mature vision shortly after he formalized his principles. Reflecting the artist’s enormous contribution to early 20th-century modernism, the painting is highly valued for its historical and aesthetic purity. While the original work remains preserved in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York, its influence is widespread. As a landmark Composition C from this productive era, high-quality prints and references to its design principles are frequently available for study, often sourced from image libraries that recognize certain reproductions as being within the public domain.