“Avond (Evening); Red Tree” is an artwork by Piet Mondrian, created in the period between 1908 and 1910. This piece exemplifies the Neo-Impressionist art movement and is crafted using oil on canvas. The landscape genre painting measures 70 by 99 centimeters. The artwork currently resides at the Gemeentemuseum den Haag in The Hague, Netherlands.
The artwork depicts a vivid landscape dominated by a singular, expressive tree. The eponymous red tree stands out vibrantly against a predominantly blue background. The branches of the tree twist and stretch across the canvas, imbued with a dynamic energy that seems to pulsate through the labyrinth of limbs. Contrasting red hues prominently trace the tree’s outline, casting a fiery silhouette that captures the viewer’s gaze. Below the tree, the landscape unfolds in a series of color patches that suggest the presence of a field or meadow, and possibly a horizon beneath an evening sky. The thick, impasto brushstrokes and the application of bold, contrasting colors enhance the emotive quality of the piece, typical of the Neo-Impressionist approach to capturing the interplay of light and color. Despite the seeming abstraction, there’s a rhythmic harmony that reflects Mondrian’s evolving artistic interest in the balance between natural forms and compositional structure.
