De Stijl in dutch means ‘The Style’. It was created by 2 well-known artists, Theo Van Doesburg and Piet Mondrian in 1917 during the first world war due to the individualism and egotism that they believed caused the war.
De Stijl artwork is most known for the geometry in their art, strictly using horizontal and vertical shapes. De Stijl valued simplicity, clean lines, primary colours and sharp right angles which structured the aesthetic in the paintings. This style was able to be seen in art formats such as paintings and architecture but also was seen in typography and more.
(Composition A, Piet Mondrian 1923)
The biggest influence for De Stijl to be created was the first world war, as the dutch (netherlands) remained neutral throughout the war and were forced to stay in their homeland including Van Doesburg. The era of industrilization began during the war which infludenced artists of this movement to create a movement, as they believed that becoming an individual artist became irrelevant and art should be focused on reflections of simplicity in nature.
The movement ended in 1931 when Theo Van Doesburg has died. Theo remained the only artist continuing the movement and style until his death.
https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/what-is-de-stijl-in-art/
Theo, born in Netherlands, 30th August 1883, was a well known dutch artist that claimed his popularity through being the founder of the ‘De Stijl’ movement. Theo specialised and practiced in poetry, architecture and paintings.
During his career, Theo considered himself a modern painter, working alongside impressionists from Amsterdam with the influence of Vincent Van Gogh’s art that Theo looked up to and studied.
Theo wrote an exhibition for a magazine which he was reviewing in 1915, during this Theo met Piet Mondrian and continued this contact as he very much valued the work of Piet. Theo saw an ‘’Ideal abstraction from reality’’ in Mondrian’s art that satisfied him. The continuation of the contact between the 2 led to founding of ‘De Stijl’ movement in 1917.
(Theo Van Doesburg, Composition Study (The Cow) 1917)
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