River view with a boat Sun 1907

Piet Mondrian made this river view with a boat, Sun, with oil paint, and it’s now in a private collection. Look at how the colors are laid down in these clear horizontal strokes, like each one is a conscious decision, a step in a process. The surface has this uncanny flatness about it, the way the sky and water become one through these careful, almost architectural brushstrokes. You can almost feel the drag of the brush across the canvas, each mark deliberate yet somehow still open to change. It's like Mondrian is finding his way through the act of painting itself, each layer building upon the last in a search for balance. The reflection of the boat, in particular, is so beautiful, it’s a single stripe that pulls the whole composition together, creating a moment of pause. It reminds me a little of Agnes Martin, in that there is a similar kind of meditative simplicity and rhythm to her work. It’s like Mondrian knew that the journey of making is just as important as the final image.