Artwork
Composition with Color Planes 5
Composition with Color Planes 5 is an oil painting by the De Stijl artist Piet Mondrian. It dates from 1917 and is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1917, this oil painting presents a network of rectangular planes rendered in muted hues, yellow, pink, gray and white, arranged in an apparently irregular grid. The composition balances flat color fields with subtle variations in surface texture, while the crisp edges of each shape convey a controlled, precise arrangement that typifies the artist’s abstract investigations.
Subject & Meaning
The work abandons recognizable subject matter, focusing instead on the interplay of geometric forms and color to evoke a sense of equilibrium. By reducing visual elements to basic rectangles and a restrained palette, the artist seeks a universal visual language that transcends narrative, aiming for a harmonious balance that suggests an underlying order within abstraction.
Technique & Style
Executed in oil, the painting combines smooth, even washes with areas where brushwork leaves faint ridges, adding a tactile dimension to the flat planes. The sharp delineation of each rectangle’s border underscores a meticulous compositional strategy, while the subdued color choices reinforce a calm, contemplative atmosphere characteristic of the artist’s mature geometric style.
History & Provenance
The piece belongs to the collection of the Museum of Modern Art, where it has been displayed as part of the institution’s holdings of early 20th‑century abstraction. Its acquisition reflects the museum’s commitment to preserving works that illustrate pivotal shifts in modern artistic practice.
Context
Produced during a period when the artist was transitioning from figurative representation to pure abstraction, the painting aligns with the principles of the De Stijl movement, which advocated for reduction to essential forms and colors. It exemplifies the broader European avant‑garde’s pursuit of a universal aesthetic grounded in geometry and restrained chromatic harmony.
Artist & collection
Artist
Pieter Cornelis Mondriaan (Dutch:; 7 March 1872 – 1 February 1944), known after 1911 as Piet Mondrian (, US also; Dutch: ), was a Dutch painter and art theoretician, who is regarded as one of the greatest artists of the 20th century.
