Composition IV (Still life) 1916

Theo van Doesburg made this oil on canvas, titled "Composition IV (Still Life)", using a reduced palette of greys, off-whites, and blacks, and a kind of tumbling geometry. I look at this painting and I think about the struggle to resolve a composition. I see van Doesburg pushing and pulling forms around, trying to find a certain harmony and balance. It’s almost like he's wrestling with these shapes, layering them and adjusting them until they lock into place. This process is visible in the painting’s surface. It’s a negotiation between representation and abstraction, like he's trying to capture the essence of a still life without literally depicting it. What I really love about painting, and what Van Doesburg shows us, is the ability to communicate complex ideas and emotions through a deeply personal and embodied practice. Each brushstroke, each decision, becomes part of the conversation.