Artwork
Field with Young Trees in the Foreground
Field with Young Trees in the Foreground is an unspecified painting by the Post-Impressionist artist Piet Mondrian. It dates from 1907 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
- Accession no.
- 1971.220
- Credit line
- Gift of Frank Stella
About this work
Overview
Field with Young Trees in the Foreground is a painting by Mondrian, created before his transition to geometric abstraction.
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts a field near Oele, a hamlet in the eastern Netherlands where Mondrian spent the summer of 1907. The silhouetted trees against a twilight sky evoke a contemplative mood, hinting at Mondrian's early search for spirituality in his art.
Technique & Style
The work features a dark field with thin, bare trees set against a pale evening sky, utilizing chiaroscuro to create a somber atmosphere. The representation of trees, though simplified, remains recognizable, differing from Mondrian's later abstract style.
History & Provenance
Painted in 1907, this work precedes Mondrian's shift towards complete abstraction in 1916, influenced by his readings in metaphysics and philosophy.
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.
