The artwork titled “Meandering Landscape with River” was created by Piet Mondrian between 1906 and 1907. This piece, executed in watercolor on paper, belongs to the Impressionist movement. Measuring 50 x 65 cm, the artwork classifies as a landscape genre and currently resides in the esteemed collection of the Musée d’Orsay in Paris, France.
Upon observing the artwork, one is immediately drawn into the delicate interplay of color and light—a hallmark of the Impressionist style. The composition depicts a vast, open landscape dominated by an expansive sky that takes up nearly three-quarters of the frame. This sky is rendered in a variety of gray tones, its clouds both heavy and wistful, suggesting the immutable movement of weather across the heavens.
Beneath this sky lies a verdant plane, where a river gently winds through the terrain. The water reflects the tones of the sky while also hinting at the depth and flow of the river through subtle gradations of blue and white. Along the river’s edge, the land is depicted with broad strokes of green interspersed with darker areas that may suggest vegetation or shadow.
Mondrian’s technique embodies the essence of Impressionism—the capturing of the transient effects of light and atmosphere. The fluid nature of the watercolor medium further contributes to the sense of ephemerality and motion within the landscape.
Though Mondrian is often recognized for his later work in abstraction and his contribution to the development of the De Stijl movement, this early piece serves as a testament to his roots in the representation of natural scenery and his exploration of color and form.
