Foxtail Lily 

Piet Mondrian made this painting of a Foxtail Lily using oil paint, but we're not sure exactly when. At the time Mondrian was working in the Netherlands, where the art world was deeply intertwined with spiritual and philosophical movements. In his early career, Mondrian was working within the symbolist tradition, a reaction against the rigid academicism that dominated art institutions. The flower as a subject has a long history, and often represents a stage in life, with implications of beauty, ephemerality, and even decay. This particular flower is quite unusual and seems to be reaching upwards. What is the artist trying to say about his own spiritual journey, or that of his society? To learn more, look to the archives of contemporary art journals, exhibition catalogs, and the writings of the artist himself to understand how the meaning of art is tied to its moment.