Composition (no. III) blanc-jaune / Composition with Red, Yellow, and Blue

My name is Feely T. Heart, and I will be your guide today through one of our paintings: "Composition (no. III) blanc-jaune / Composition with Red, Yellow, and Blue". This captivating work, painted in 1935, is by the renowned Dutch artist Piet Mondrian. You'll find it here at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, and it beautifully showcases Mondrian's signature style. nn At first glance, you might see a deceptively simple arrangement of lines and colors. The painting is largely covered in white, a blank canvas that allows the other elements to truly sing. Bold black lines intersect, creating a grid-like structure that feels both balanced and dynamic. Within this grid, Mondrian introduces rectangles of vibrant primary colors: a sunshine yellow in the upper right, and along the left edge, a bold red, a smaller black square, and finally, a calming blue. nn Mondrian's technique is precise and deliberate. He meticulously applies paint to create perfectly flat surfaces, devoid of any visible brushstrokes. This meticulous approach emphasizes the purity of both color and form. "Composition (no. III)" is a prime example of abstract art, a movement that moved away from depicting recognizable objects to explore the relationships between colors, shapes, and lines. nn Mondrian believed that these basic elements held a universal beauty and could evoke a sense of harmony and order. His work was heavily influenced by the De Stijl movement, which emerged in the Netherlands in the early 20th century. Artists of De Stijl, including Mondrian, sought to create a new visual language that reflected a utopian vision of a more harmonious world. Even today, Mondrian's art continues to resonate with its timeless elegance and its ability to spark contemplation on the power of simplicity and the beauty of pure abstraction.