Composition II 1916

Theo van Doesburg created "Composition II" using oil on canvas during a period marked by significant social change and artistic experimentation. Van Doesburg was part of a generation grappling with questions of representation in the face of modernity. His identity as an artist was deeply intertwined with the desire to develop a universal visual language, stripped of individual emotion and cultural specificity. He wrote about his intention to, “create consciously; on a purely intellectual level, as impersonally as possible.” Note how the canvas rejects traditional artistic conventions, instead offering an arrangement of geometric forms. Van Doesburg sought to create a visual harmony through the calculated placement of shapes and colors. The artwork invites us to engage with a world of pure abstraction, separate from the emotional noise of daily life. This composition encourages viewers to find new meanings beyond the confines of traditional representation, reflecting a broader societal shift toward embracing diversity and challenging established norms.