“Dune IV,” created by artist Piet Mondrian between 1909 and 1910, is an oil on cardboard landscape painting that belongs to the Fauvism art movement. With dimensions of 33 x 46 cm, the artwork exhibits characteristic traits of Fauvism through its vibrant colors and brushwork. This artwork is part of the collection at the Gemeentemuseum in The Hague, Netherlands.
The artwork depicts a landscape scene, likely inspired by the dunes, as suggested by the title. It consists of an array of bold, expressive colors applied in a manner that departs from naturalistic representation. The sky is painted in shades of vivacious pink and blue, hinting at either the serenity of a dawn or dusk sky or the creative expressiveness of the Fauvist palette. Below, the dunes themselves are rendered in warm hues of orange, red, and purple, capturing the curves and contours of the sandy landscape.
The painting’s texture and brushwork are loose and dynamic, prioritizing color and composition over the precise depiction of the natural world. Fauvism’s hallmark is its use of intense, non-naturalistic colors, and “Dune IV” is no exception, with its exaggerated colors conjuring an emotional rather than a literal landscape. The surface of the painting showcases the artist’s interaction with the medium, where visible strokes and layers contribute to a sense of movement and vitality.
Overall, “Dune IV” is representative of Mondrian’s early work, where he explored the emotional possibilities of color and form before his progression into the geometric abstraction for which he is most renowned. The painting invites viewers to immerse themselves in its rich tapestry of color and to experience the landscape through the emotive filter of Fauvism.
