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De Stijl

Theo van Doesburg, Composition VII (the three graces), 1917
Years active	1917–1931
Location	Netherlands
Major figures	Theo van Doesburg, Piet Mondrian, Gerrit Rietveld, J.J.P. Oud, Bart van der Leck
Influences	Cubism Modernism
Influenced	Bauhaus Abstract art Minimalism Constructivism

De Stijl (/də ˈstaɪl/, Dutch: [də ˈstɛil]; 'The Style') was a Dutch art movement founded in 1917 by a group of artists and architects based in Leiden (Theo van Doesburg, J.J.P. Oud), Voorburg (Vilmos Huszár, Jan Wils) and Laren (Piet Mondrian, Bart van der Leck).

De Stijl was also the name of a journal – published by the Dutch painter, designer, writer, poet and critic Theo van Doesburg – that propagated the group's theories. Along with van Doesburg, the group's principal members were the painters Piet Mondrian, Vilmos Huszár, Bart van der Leck, the architects J.J.P. Oud, Jan Wils, Gerrit Rietveld, Robert van 't Hoff, the sculptor and painter Georges Vantongerloo, and the poet and writer Antony Kok.

The art theory that formed the basis for the group's work was originally known as Nieuwe Beelding in Dutch, later translated to Neoplasticism in English. This theory was subsequently extended to encompass the principles of Elementarism.

Principles and influences

Mondrian set forth the principles of neoplasticism in his essay "Neo-Plasticism in Pictorial Art". He wrote, "this new plastic idea will ignore the particulars of appearance, that is to say, natural form and colour. On the contrary, it should find its expression in the abstraction of form and colour, that is to say, in the straight line and the clearly defined primary colour". With these constraints, his art allowed only primary colours and non-colours, only squares and rectangles, only straight and horizontal or vertical lines. The De Stijl movement initially adopted Mondrian's principles until around 1924 when it rejected some of them and adopted those of Elementarism, which included the use of dynamic diagonal lines, allowing colour to infuse more energy into a work, and the rejection of harmonious and balanced relationships.

The name De Stijl is supposedly derived from Gottfried Semper's Der Stil in den technischen und tektonischen Künsten oder Praktische Ästhetik (1861–1863), which Curl suggests was mistakenly believed to advocate materialism and functionalism.

Nieuwe beelding , or neoplasticism, saw itself as reaching beyond the changing appearance of natural things to bring an audience into intimate contact with an immutable core of reality, a reality that was not so much a visible fact as an underlying spiritual vision. Initially, De Stijl proposed this ultimate simplicity and abstraction, both in architecture and painting, by using only straight horizontal and vertical lines and rectangular forms. Its vocabulary was limited to the primary colours, red, yellow, and blue, and the three primary values, black, white, and grey. The works avoided symmetry and attained aesthetic balance by the use of opposition. This element of the tension embodied the second meaning of stijl: 'a post, jamb or support'; this is best exemplified by the construction of crossing joints, most commonly seen in carpentry.

In many of the group's three-dimensional works, vertical and horizontal lines are positioned in layers or planes that do not intersect, thereby allowing each element to exist independently and unobstructed by other elements. This feature can be found in the Rietveld Schröder House and the Red and Blue Chair.

De Stijl was influenced by Cubist painting as well as by the mysticism and the ideas about "ideal" geometric forms (such as the "perfect straight line") in the neoplatonic philosophy of M. H. J. Schoenmaekers. The De Stijl movement was also influenced by Neopositivism. The works of De Stijl would influence the Bauhaus style and the international style of architecture as well as clothing and interior design. However, it did not follow the general guidelines of an "-ism" (e.g., Cubism, Futurism, Surrealism), nor did it adhere to the principles of art schools like the Bauhaus; it was a collective project, a joint enterprise that changed over time, resulting in new "elementary design" principles which Van Doesburg called Elementarism.

In music, De Stijl was an influence only on the work of composer Jakob van Domselaer, a close friend of Mondrian. Between 1913 and 1916, he composed his Proeven van Stijlkunst ("Experiments in Artistic Style"), inspired mainly by Mondrian's paintings. This minimalistic—and, at the time, revolutionary—music defined "horizontal" and "vertical" musical elements and aimed at balancing those two principles. Van Domselaer was relatively unknown in his lifetime, and did not play a significant role within De Stijl.

History

Early history

From the flurry of new art movements that followed the Impressionist revolutionary new perception of painting, Cubism arose in the early 20th century as an important and influential new direction. In the Netherlands, too, there was interest in this "new art". However, because the Netherlands remained neutral in World War I, Dutch artists were not able to leave the country after 1914 and were thus effectively isolated from the international art world—and in particular, from Paris, which was its centre at that time.

During that period, Theo van Doesburg started looking for other artists to set up a journal and start an art movement. Van Doesburg was also a writer, poet, and critic, who had been more successful writing about art than working as an independent artist. Quite adept at making new contacts due to his flamboyant personality and outgoing nature, he had many useful connections in the art world.

Founding of De Stijl

Around 1915, Van Doesburg started meeting the artists who would eventually become the founders of the journal. He first met Piet Mondrian at an exhibition in Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam. Mondrian, who had moved to Paris in 1912 (and there, changed his name from "Mondriaan"), had been visiting the Netherlands when war broke out, and so could not return to Paris. Mondrian stayed in the artists' community of Laren, where he met Bart van der Leck and regularly saw M. H. J. Schoenmaekers. In 1915, Schoenmaekers published Het nieuwe wereldbeeld ("The New Worldview"), followed in 1916 by Beginselen der beeldende wiskunde ("Principles of Visual Mathematics"). These two publications would greatly influence Mondrian and other members of De Stijl.

Van Doesburg also knew J. J. P. Oud and the Hungarian artist Vilmos Huszár. In 1917 the cooperation of these artists, together with his friend the poet and musician Antony Kok, resulted in the founding of De Stijl. The young architect Gerrit Rietveld joined the group in 1918. At its height De Stijl had 100 members and the journal had a circulation of 300.

During those first few years, the group was still relatively homogeneous, although Van der Leck left in 1918 due to artistic differences of opinion. Manifestos were being published, signed by all members. The social and economic circumstances of the time formed an important source of inspiration for their theories, and their ideas about architecture were heavily influenced by Hendrik Petrus Berlage and Frank Lloyd Wright.

The name Nieuwe Beelding was a term first coined in 1917 by Mondrian, who wrote a series of twelve articles called De Nieuwe Beelding in de schilderkunst ("Neo-Plasticism in Painting") that were published in the journal De Stijl. In 1920 he published a book titled Le Néo-Plasticisme.

After 1920

Around 1921, the group's character started to change. From the time of van Doesburg's association with Bauhaus, other influences started playing a role. These influences were mainly Malevich and Russian Constructivism, to which not all members agreed. In 1924 Mondrian broke with the group after van Doesburg proposed the theory of Elementarism, suggesting that a diagonal line is more vital than horizontal and vertical ones. In addition, the De Stijl group acquired many new "members". Dadaist influences, such as I. K. Bonset's poetry and Aldo Camini's "antiphilosophy" generated controversy as well. Only after Van Doesburg's death was it revealed that Bonset and Camini were two of his pseudonyms.

After van Doesburg's death

Theo van Doesburg died in Davos, Switzerland, in 1931. His wife, Nelly, administered his estate. Because of van Doesburg's pivotal role within De Stijl, the group did not survive. Individual members remained in contact, but De Stijl could not exist without a strong central character. Thus, it may be wrong to think of De Stijl as a close-knit group of artists. The members knew each other, but most communication took place by letter. For example, Mondrian and Rietveld never met in person.

Many, though not all, artists did stay true to the movement's basic ideas, even after 1931. Rietveld, for instance, continued designing furniture according to De Stijl principles, while Mondrian continued working in the style he had initiated around 1917. Van der Leck, on the other hand, went back to figurative compositions after his departure from the group.

Influence on architecture

The De Stijl influence on architecture remained considerable long after its inception; Mies van der Rohe was among the most important proponents of its ideas. Between 1923 and 1924, Rietveld designed the Rietveld Schröder House, the only building to have been created completely according to De Stijl principles. Examples of Stijl-influenced works by J.J.P. Oud can be found in Rotterdam (the Café De Unie) and Hook of Holland (Arbeiderswoningen). Other examples include the Eames House by Charles and Ray Eames, and the interior decoration for the Aubette dance hall in Strasbourg, designed by Sophie Taeuber-Arp, Jean Arp and van Doesburg.

Present day

Works by De Stijl members are scattered all over the world, but De Stijl-themed exhibitions are organised regularly. Museums with large De Stijl collections include the Gemeentemuseum in The Hague (which owns the world's most extensive, although not exclusively De Stijl-related, Mondrian collection) and Amsterdam's Stedelijk Museum, where many works by Rietveld and Van Doesburg are on display. The Centraal Museum of Utrecht has the largest Rietveld collection worldwide; it also owns the Rietveld Schröder House, Rietveld's adjacent "show house", and the Rietveld Schröder Archives.

The movement inspired the design aesthetics of Rumyantsevo and Salaryevo stations of Moscow Metro opened in 2016.

Neoplasticists

• Theo van Doesburg
• Antony Kok
• Piet Mondrian
• J.J.P. Oud
• Gerrit Rietveld
• Vilmos Huszár
• Jan Wils

• Ilya Bolotowsky (1907–1981), painter and sculptor
• Burgoyne Diller (1906–1965), painter

• Theo van Doesburg (1883–1931), painter, designer, poet and writer; co-founder of De Stijl; editor of De Stijl, 1917–1931

• Cornelis van Eesteren (1897–1981), architect
• Jean Gorin (1899–1981), painter, sculptor
• Robert van 't Hoff (1887–1979), architect
• Vilmos Huszár (1884–1960), painter
• Frederick John Kiesler (1890–1965), architect, theater designer, artist, sculptor
• Antony Kok (1882–1969), poet and writer
• Bart van der Leck (1876–1958), painter
• Piet Mondrian (1872–1944), painter, co-founder of De Stijl
• Marlow Moss (1889–1958), painter
• J. J. P. Oud (1890–1963), architect
• Gerrit Rietveld (1888–1964), architect and designer
• Kurt Schwitters (1887–1948), painter, sculptor
• Georges Vantongerloo (1886–1965), sculptor
• Friedrich Vordemberge-Gildewart (1899–1962), painter
• Jan Wils (1891–1972), architect

See also

• Art Concret – French-language art magazine (1930)
• Abstraction-Création – Association of artists (Paris, 1931)
• Concrete art – Art movement emphasizing geometrical abstraction
• Elementarism – Modernist art theory
• Form follows function – Design philosophy of 19th–20th centuries
• Fourth dimension in art – Attempt to demonstrate the 4th dimension in visual arts
• Mathematics and art – Relationship between mathematics and art
• Modern architecture – 20th century movement and style

References

1. Blotkamp (1982), p. 18.
2. ^ Wilkins, Schultz & Linduff (1994).
3. Jaffé (1970), pp. 25–27.
4. Mondrian, Piet (1987). "The New Plastic in Painting" in The New Art - The New Life: the collected writings of Piet Mondrian. Thames and Hudson. pp. 27–74. ISBN 978-0-500-60011-5. Retrieved 14 April 2024 – via Internet Archive.
5. "Neo-plasticism – Art Term". Tate Glossary.
6. Jaffé (1970), pp. 214–215.
7. Curl, James Stevens (2006). A Dictionary of Architecture and Landscape Architecture (Paperback) (Second ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-860678-9.
8. Denker, Susan A. (September 1982). "De Stijl: 1917–1931, Visions of Utopia". Art Journal. 42 (3): 242–246. doi:10.1080/00043249.1982.10792803.
9. van Doesburg, Theo (1929). "Der Kampf um den neuen Stil". Neue Schweizer Rundschau. July 1929 (7).
10. "Jakob van Domselaer - Proeven van Stijlkunst". Dutch Composers (YouTube). Retrieved 16 December 2024.
11. Theo van Doesburg (1918). Translated by Janet Seligman; Introd. by Hans M. Wingler; Postscript by H.L.C. Jaffé (eds.). Grundbegriffe der Neuen Gestaltenden Kunst (Grondbeginselen der Nieuwe beeldende Kunst ) (in German, Dutch, and English). London, UK: Lund Humphries (1968). ISBN 978-0853311041.
12. Dujardin, Alain; Quirindongo, Jop (26 January 2017). "This 100-Year-Old Dutch Movement Shaped Web Design Today". Backchannel (blog). Retrieved 29 January 2017.
13. Piet Mondrian, Le Néo-Plasticisme, Principe Général de l'Equivalence Plastique, Paris, 1920, Universitätsbibliothek Heidelberg
14. "Marble and Mondrian: a tour of Moscow metro". DW. Retrieved 6 April 2017.
15. "Type design for Rumyantsevo Moscow Metro station". Retrieved 6 April 2017.
16. "Ilya Bolotowsky". Sullivan Goss. Retrieved 24 September 2015.
17. "Burgoyne Diller". Sullivan Goss. Archived from the original on 25 September 2015. Retrieved 24 September 2015.
18. ^ "De Stijl". Tate Glossary. The Tate. Archived from the original on 11 February 2017. Retrieved 31 July 2006.
19. ^ "de Stijl". the-artists.org. 28 December 2008. Archived from the original on 5 April 2017. Retrieved 24 September 2015.
20. "Robert Van 'T Hoff in The Kröller-Müller Museum". Het Nieuwe Instituut. Retrieved 24 September 2015.
21. "Vilmos huszar De Stijl". MoMA. Retrieved 24 September 2015.
22. "AD Classics: Endless House / Friedrick Kiesler". ArchDaily. 11 April 2011. Retrieved 24 September 2015.
23. White, Michael (20 September 2003). De Stijl and Dutch Modernism. Manchester University Press. p. 134. ISBN 978-0-7190-6162-2.
24. Hauffe, Thomas (1998). Design (Reprinted ed.). London: Laurence King. p. 71. ISBN 9781856691345. OCLC 40406039.
25. Gottfried, Schlütersche Verlagsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG. "Spaces for the Permanent Collection - sprengel-museum.com". www.sprengel-museum.com. Hannover.
26. White, Michael (20 September 2003). De Stijl and Dutch Modernism. Manchester University Press. p. 36. ISBN 978-0-7190-6162-2.

Sources

• "De Stijl Architecture". Design Arts. Art and Culture. Archived from the original on 27 March 2006. Retrieved 31 July 2006.

• Blotkamp, Carel, ed. (1982). De beginjaren van De Stijl 1917–1922 [The early years of De Stijl] (in Dutch). Utrecht: Reflex.

• Wilkins, David G.; Schultz, Bernard; Linduff, Katheryn M. (1994). Art past, art present (2nd ed.). Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey (US): Prentice Hall. p. 523. ISBN 978-0-13-062084-2.

• Jaffé, Hans L. C. (1970). De Stijl. Thames & Hudson. ISBN 0500-18096-2.

• van Doesburg, Theo (1929). "Der Kampf um den neuen Stil". Neue Schweizer Rundschau. July 1929 (7).

Further reading

• Blotkamp, Carel (1986). De Stijl: The Formative Years 1917-1922. Translated by Charlotte I. Loeb; Arthur L. Loeb. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press. ISBN 9780262022477. OCLC 13396885.
• Blotkamp, Carel, ed. (1996). De vervolgjaren van De Stijl 1922–1932 [The subsequent years of De Stijl 1922–1932] (in Dutch). Amsterdam: Veen.

• Fiell, Charlotte; Fiell, Peter (2005). Design of the 20th Century (25th anniversary ed.). Köln: Taschen. pp. 200–203. ISBN 9783822840788. OCLC 809539744.
• Jaffé, H. L. C. (1956). De Stijl, 1917–1931, The Dutch Contribution to Modern Art (1st ed.). Amsterdam: J.M. Meulenhoff.
• Janssen, Hans; White, Michael (2011). The Story of De Stijl. Lund Humphries. ISBN 978-1-84822-094-2.
• Overy, Paul (1969). De Stijl (1st ed.). London: Studio Vista.
• White, Michael (2003). De Stijl and Dutch Modernism. Manchester : Manchester University Press.

• van Doesburg, Theo (1924). "Towards a plastic architecture". Translation of original published in De Stijl, XII, 6/7. Architecture & CAAD. Archived from the original on 28 November 2005. Retrieved 31 July 2006.

External links

• Many sourced quotes and facts of De Stijl artists in: De Stijl 1917–1931 – The Dutch Contribution to Modern Art, by H.L.C. Jaffé; J.M. Meulenhoff, Amsterdam 1956

• De Stijl, The International Dada Archive, University of Iowa Libraries

• Jakob van Domselaer's Proeven van Stijlkunst, rare recording.

• Kramer, Hilton (September 1995). "Mondrian & mysticism:"My long search is over"". New Criterion. 14 (1). (essay, republished in Kramer, Hilton (2006). The triumph of modernism : the art world, 1987-2005. Chicago: Ivan R. Dee. ISBN 9781442223226. OCLC 865508243.)

• De Stijl Manifesto, Theo van Doesburg, 1918

v t e Geometric abstraction
Concrete art Constructivism De Stijl Minimalism Op art Suprematism

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