“Wood with Beech Trees” by Piet Mondrian, created in 1899, represents an early example of Post-Impressionism, before the artist’s move towards abstraction. It is a landscape painting done in gouache and watercolor on paper, with dimensions of 45.5 by 57 cm. This artwork belongs to the Gemeentemuseum Den Haag in The Hague, Netherlands.
The painting depicts a serene and calming forest scene. It is densely populated with tall, vertical beech trees that lead the eye into the depth of the woods. The foreground is rich with hues of orange and brown, suggesting a carpet of fallen leaves, which adds to the autumnal atmosphere of the artwork. The handling of light and shadow on the forest floor, as well as the soft dappling of light filtering through the canopy, provides a sense of tranquility and natural beauty. There is an interplay of colors with the greens and browns, and the technique suggests the influence of the Post-Impressionist movement, which focused on a more personal expression and emotional resonance than the reality-depicting Impressionist works. Mondrian’s use of color and light contrasts here is indicative of his exploration of nature, a theme he revisited before his evolution towards geometric abstraction.
