Piet Mondrian (1872-1944)

Christie's Laren, 17 October 1977.
Galerie Monet, Amsterdam
Sotheby's New York, 10 May 1995, lot 239
Joseph M.B. Guttmann Galleries, Los Angeles

The Hague, Galerie Van Voorst van Beest, Piet Mondriaan, September-November 1988, no. 13
Madrid, Sala di Exposiciones de la Fundation de la Caixa / Barcelona, Centre Cultural de la Fundation de la Caixa, Kandindinsky-Mondriaan; Dos Caminos hacia de la Abstraccion, September-November 1994 / November-January 1995, no. 19
Amersfoort, Mondriaanhuis,Vijf onbekende Werken van Mondriaan in het Mondriaanhuis, September-November 2003
Enschede, Rijksmuseum Twenthe, 2003-2007 (on loan)

R. P. Welsh, Piet Mondriaan 1872-1944 Dutch Landscape, The Hague 1988, no. 13 illustrated
R. Welsh, Piet Mondriaan Catalogue Raisonné of the Naturalistic Works, Blaricum 1998, no. A410, p.134, 319, illustrated

Please note the colours in the image are too orange. The painting has been relined but the natural tension of the canvas has been preserved. There has been some paint shrinkage but these 'veins' have been filled in professionally. This is the case in several segments in the sky. Furthermore there are some minor retouches; one along the right contour of the mill (circa 7 cm), some small ones in the foreground in front of the mill, some in the middle water stroke and some very minor ones along the extreme edges. Otherwise in good condition.
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NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The title Oostzijdse Mill with extended light blue, yellow and violet sky is quite extensive but was used by the Mondrian scholar Robert P. Welsch to distinguish the paintings that Mondrian made from 1905-1908 along the river Gein. The catalogoue raisonné of his early works include approximately 20 representations of this mill varying on the point of view thus a distinguishing title is necessary.

The realistic style and composition with a large area devoted to the sky and its colours echo's the paintings made by his processors from the 'plein air painters' and the 'Hague School' in this case especially Paul Gabriel and Willem Roelofs. His paintings however are less narrative and focus rather on creating an atmosphere than being narrative. He simplifies the composition and reduces it to three plans. The first being the water where the reflection of setting sun is seen. The light colours used for this plan contrast with the darkness behind it and herewith depth is created. The second plan is painted in subtle shades of brown and black to depict the water, the river bank and the big mill. When carefully viewing this segment one can see the different pictorial elements but when viewed from a distance only a large horizontal black stroke and the silhouette of the mill is seen. This announces his abstract approach to nature for which he will become so famous. This dark second layer functions as a repoussoir and the light sky behind it looks monumental and indeed extended. The sky is rendered with a beautiful range of pastel colours. In the coming years he will further develop this into a far reaching luministic style but here one sees already the beginning of that approach.