Composition No. II, with Red and Blue is an essential oil on canvas painting created by the Dutch artist Piet Mondrian in 1929. This painting epitomizes Neoplasticism, the restrictive yet powerful visual language Mondrian championed, characterized by a formal structure of vertical and horizontal black lines defining strictly rectangular planes. The palette is rigorously controlled, limited to non-colors (white and black) and primary colors, focusing in this specific instance on highly saturated red and blue elements balanced against expansive white space. The precise geometric placement of these elements creates a dynamic yet harmonized spatial rhythm, embodying Mondrian’s pursuit of universal balance and clarity through pure abstraction.
The chronology of this particular piece includes a notable historical footnote. Although the work was executed in 1929, the original inscription was later partly obscured, leading Mondrian to mistakenly repaint the date as 1925. This nuance in dating reflects the artist’s commitment to refining his grid-based compositions throughout the late 1920s, a period where his influence expanded rapidly across European modernism. Mondrian utilized smooth, meticulously applied oil paint, ensuring the canvas maintained an absolute flatness and eliminating any traditional illusionistic techniques.
As one of the most recognized icons of early twentieth-century abstraction, this canvas demonstrates Mondrian’s mature mastery of asymmetrical equilibrium. The careful weighting of the primary color blocks against the vast stretches of white dictates the viewer’s eye movement, achieving visual tension without resorting to conventional subject matter. The enduring purity and structural logic of Composition No. II, with Red and Blue solidifies its status as a critical piece in the evolution of modern art. This significant work is held in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), ensuring its preservation and availability for public appreciation and scholarly study.
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