The artwork “Trees by the Gein at Moonrise” by Piet Mondrian, created between 1907 and 1908, is executed in oil on canvas, measuring 79 x 92.5 cm. This piece belongs to the Fauvism art movement and is classified as a landscape. It is located in the Gemeentemuseum den Haag (now known as the Kunstmuseum Den Haag) in The Hague, Netherlands.
The painting depicts a serene night scene with several trees standing along the banks of the River Gein under a moonlit sky. The dominant color palette is a rich, warm reddish-brown, imparting a strong sense of mood and time of day. The reflection of the trees can be seen in the water below, suggesting a calm and still night. The full moon is rendered as a vivid, lighter circle, offset slightly to the right of the canvas’ center. Mondrian’s treatment of light and shadow in this period, through the use of contrasting warm tones and bold brushwork, evokes the emotional and expressive qualities associated with Fauvism, which was characterized by its use of intense colors and gestural brushstrokes.
