The artwork “Church tower at Domburg” is an oil on canvas painting by artist Piet Mondrian created in 1911. The painting exemplifies the Fauvism art movement and is a cityscape genre, measuring 114 by 75 cm. The artwork is housed in the Gemeentemuseum den Haag in The Hague, Netherlands.
In terms of its visual presentation, the painting depicts the towering structure of a church in Domburg with strong use of color and simplified forms that are characteristic of Fauvism. The church tower is portrayed with a dominant red hue, set against a vibrant blue background. The handling of color reflects a level of abstraction, moving away from naturalistic representation and emphasizing mood and expression over realism. The bold, contrasting colors are striking, and the application of paint is loose and gestural, creating a dynamic and emotional effect. Mondrian’s approach in this painting reflects a transitional period in his work as he moves towards greater abstraction, which would eventually lead to his signature style of neoplasticism, characterized by a reduction to the essentials of form and color.
