Landscape with Snow (1888)

Landscape with Snow (1888)
Painted in February of 1888, Van Gogh painted the dreary furrowed fields of winter. A lone figure with his dog trudge toward home. Located in the Guggenheim, I was moved to view this painting this past weekend.

Monday, August 30, 2010

Theo van Doesburg

Happy Birthday Theo van Doesburg!! Dutchman born in 1883, Christian Emile Marie Kupper signed his work with his stepfather’s (whom he regarded his natural father) name: Theo Doesburg. He added the “van” which was a common practice. He was actually the son of photographer Willhelm Kupper. Vincent van Gogh influenced his early desire to become a painter. Later van Doesburg became convinced that abstract painting was the only true reflection of what was in one’s mind. The painter was quite avant-garde in approach after he became acquainted with Piet Mondrian and founded De Stijl. Note the similarities between the two artists in van Doesburg’s Simultaneous Counter-Composition 2, 1929. (I wrote about Mondrian on March 7). I am fascinated with this particular canvas with the underlying composition of colored geometrical shape offset by the bold black grid over top, hence "counter composition".

De Stijl-or The Style began as a magazine promoting the ideas of Mondrian, van Doesburg and Neo-plasticism. Neo-plasticism being strict abstract art relying on geometric shapes in primary colors with black and white, set at right angles to the vertical or horizontal axis.

No comments:

Post a Comment