Artwork
Farm near Duivendrecht
Farm near Duivendrecht is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Piet Mondrian. It dates from 1916 and is held in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The work depicts a rural scene near Duivendrecht featuring a farm, a tree, and a specular reflection on water, elements drawn from the natural landscape surrounding Amsterdam. The composition emphasizes geometric simplification of forms and the interplay of light on the water's surface, reflecting Mondrian's early exploration of spatial balance before his development of pure abstraction. These motifs symbolize the quiet stability of the Dutch countryside while subtly introducing the tension between natural chaos and underlying order that would become central to his later artistic theories.
The painting thus represents a transitional moment in Mondrian's practice, where representation begins to dissolve into structured visual language, foreshadowing his shift toward neoplasticism.
The depicted elements are rendered with careful attention to atmospheric effects, particularly the reflection that disrupts the farm's geometric clarity, suggesting a dialogue between permanence and ephemerality in the landscape.
Technique & Style
The handling combines fluid, horizontal brushwork with more deliberate, directional strokes to articulate the rolling terrain and built forms of the farmstead.
Executed in oil paint on canvas, the work measures 86.6 cm in height by 108.5 cm in width. The handling combines fluid, horizontal brushwork with more deliberate, directional strokes to articulate the rolling terrain and built forms of the farmstead. Stylistically, the composition retains a naturalistic framework while beginning to flatten spatial recession through simplified planes and modulated color areas, foreshadowing the artist’s later geometric abstraction.
The palette favors earthy ochres, greens, and blues, with a reflective treatment of water that suggests light rather than detailed reflection.
History & Provenance
The work was painted in 1916 by Piet Mondrian, as indicated by its internal documentation and the Wikidata entry.
The painting entered the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, where it remains held. Provenance prior to the Art Institute is not documented in the provided sources.
Overview
Farm near Duivendrecht is a 1916 oil painting by Piet Mondrian, depicting a rural landscape with a farmhouse and trees reflected in a waterway.
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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.
