Composition with Blue 1937

Composition with Blue was painted by Piet Mondrian using oil on canvas, probably in the early 1920s. The cool precision of this painting seems like it could only be achieved by a machine, yet it was made by hand. It's important to remember that even the simplest geometric abstraction involves countless tiny decisions. Each line, each block of color, is the result of the artist’s judgment. Look closely, and you’ll see how the black lines are not mechanically uniform, but vary slightly in thickness. Consider also the whiteness of the canvas, and the work required to prepare it as a perfectly receptive ground for Mondrian’s composition. The single blue square offers a moment of pure color against the neutral ground. The flat surface belies the layering of paint, and all the invisible effort that went into its making. Paying attention to materials and the artist’s process helps us understand that even paintings that seem totally abstract are rooted in the real world.