| Artist: | Mondrian, Piet |
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|---|---|---|
| Title of Work: | Evolution Triptych | |
| Date of Work: | 1911 | |
| Nationality: | Dutch | |
| Context: | Hard-Edge Geometric Abstraction | |
| Movement: | Dutch Neoplasticism, or De Stijl | |
| Medium: | Oil | |
| Subject: a cosmic, mystical evolution progressing from matter through soul to spirit, influenced by Rudolf Steiner's Theosophy, a combination of mysticism and new science. Three nude female figures, or perhaps one figure seen from three different points of evolution: the terrestrial or earthly body on the left with the red shapes behind her(red signifying earthly passion) and the triangles indicating nipples and navel pointing downward to earth; the soul at center with the white light behind her and her eyes wide open (Steiner felt young girls had extra visionary powers due to their supreme feelings of devotion and he thought full enlightenment only came with eyes open) with her nipples and navel triangles pointing upwards to a higher plane; and finally the Divine Spirit on the right with yellow stars behind her whose nipples and navel triangles point both up and down in a perfect harmony of the spheres through a dynamic balancing of opposing forces. The spiritual and physical in unison. Style: rigid frontality on the surface plane, as in all his other works. The body has a geometric stylization, but the color is symbolic: red for earthly passions; blue for spiritual devotion; and yellow for the divine light. The balancing of the vertical and horizontal reflects Mondrian's search for a true harmony of opposing forces. Context: Mondrain joined the Theosophy society in 1909 and took Rudolf Steiner's books with him on his travels. His art from 1908 to 1911 shows the influence of this mystical school of thought, which seeks visions of the "higher spheres" in which spirit rules over matter. In many ways this "evolution"--from nature or the physical, material world to pure spirit or Neo-Plasticism--characterizes Mondrain's own eolution as an artist engaged in a purifying search for the cosmic laws underlying all nature. | ||
