Composition with Gray and Light Brown (1918) by Piet Mondrian

Composition with Gray and Light Brown - Piet Mondrian - 1918

Artwork Information

TitleComposition with Gray and Light Brown
ArtistPiet Mondrian
Date1918
MediumOil on Canvas
Dimensions80.2 x 49.9 cm
Art MovementNeoplasticism
Current LocationMuseum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas
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About Composition with Gray and Light Brown

Composition with Gray and Light Brown is a famous oil on canvas painting by artist Piet Mondrian from 1918. This abstract artwork is exemplary of the artist’s style of Neoplasticism, featuring variations of gray and ochre glazes that create subtly shifting planes of color. The colors used in the painting are restrained, with only yellow, blue gray, red and white used as accents to provide contrast.

Mondrian was known for his artistic philosophy of pure abstraction and non-representation that evolved over time. During his early years as an artist, he was influenced by Picasso’s work and cubist practice but felt that it did not go far enough on the road to abstraction. Composition with Gray and Light Brown represents a harmony of contrasts symbolizing balance and tension between dynamic forces.

An asymmetrical painting, Composition with Gray and Light Brown has one large dominant block of red color balanced by smaller blocks around it. This painting demonstrates how art can be impactful even when using limited colors. Its uniqueness lies in how Mondrian played with shapes to make a seemingly simple yet complex artwork appreciated over time as one studies its shapes closer. Today Composition with Gray and Light Brown remains a widely recognized masterpiece valued for its contribution to modern art history.

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