Dune IV 1910

Piet Mondrian made this small oil on cardboard painting, Dune IV, sometime in his early career. Look how he's really feeling his way through the paint here. There’s no attempt to hide the hand, no preciousness at all. What grabs me is the way Mondrian lays down these strokes of color. The paint is applied in thin, translucent layers, almost like watercolor. You can see the texture of the cardboard coming through. The colors are so juicy, aren't they? Like a sherbet sunrise. Notice the little dabs of blue nestled within the pinks and oranges, especially on the upper dune, these almost vibrate against the warmth surrounding them. It's like he's trying to capture the fleeting moment when the light hits the dunes just right. The way he approaches the subject reminds me a bit of Van Gogh, actually. Like Van Gogh, Mondrian is interested in capturing the energy of the landscape, not just its physical appearance. But there’s also this sense of searching, a kind of openness that’s really beautiful. I love how this piece shows the artist in the midst of his process, feeling his way towards something new.