Artwork
Field with Young Trees in the Foreground
Field with Young Trees in the Foreground is an unspecified painting by the Post-Impressionist artist Piet Mondrian. It dates from 1907 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
Overview
Field with Young Trees in the Foreground is a painting by Mondrian, created before his transition to geometric abstraction.
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts a field near Oele, a hamlet in the eastern Netherlands where Mondrian spent the summer of 1907. The silhouetted trees against a twilight sky evoke a contemplative mood, hinting at Mondrian's early search for spirituality in his art.
Technique & Style
The work features a dark field with thin, bare trees set against a pale evening sky, utilizing chiaroscuro to create a somber atmosphere. The representation of trees, though simplified, remains recognizable, differing from Mondrian's later abstract style.
History & Provenance
Painted in 1907, this work precedes Mondrian's shift towards complete abstraction in 1916, influenced by his readings in metaphysics and philosophy.
Artist & collection
Artist
Pieter Cornelis Mondriaan (Dutch: ; 7 March 1872 – 1 February 1944), known after 1911 as Piet Mondrian (, US also ; Dutch: ), was a Dutch painter and art theoretician, who is regarded as one of the greatest artists of the 20th century.
