Piet Mondrian

Klijnveld-Royaards Collection, Amsterdam
Reus-Klijnveld Collection, Amsterdam (by descent from the above)
Thence by descent to the present owner

Joop J. Joosten, Piet Mondrian, Catalogue Raisonné of the Work of 1911-1944, New York, 1998, vol. II, no. C147, illustrated p. 502

Executed on cream wove paper, not laid down, attached to the mount at intervals along the right, left and upper edges. There is an area approximately 5cm. by 0.5cm. of retouching below the leaves in the lower right quadrant, accompanied by other scattered spots of retouching, and an area of 1 by 3cm. of retouching below the leaves of the right hand rose all visible under uv light. Apart from some slight time staining along all four edges, this work is in good condition. Colours: Overall fairly accurate, although the yellows are slightly more vibrant in the original.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
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."

Mondrian's art evolved out of his single-minded pursuit of a purified aesthetic vision. However, the austere principles of Neo-Plasticism, which sought to liberate painting from the domination of sensory perception and articulate universal principles that would give a new spiritual dimension to art, did not prove immediately appealing to the art-buying public. Throughout his career, particularly in the Netherlands during World War I, Mondrian was forced to fall back on making copies of his earlier naturalistic works to make ends meet. Further financial setbacks at the beginning of the 1920s forced Mondrian to turn to making copies once again, and this time they mainly consisted of flower paintings. As he wrote in a letter in the summer of 1922 to his friend Anthony Kok, 'For a couple of months I have been busy making flowers – drawings in watercolours, naturalistic, the way I used to, without any pretensions of 'newness' in them! I see them as temporary craftsmanship because I can sell these things... In this way I will be able to return to my own work after a while. A great many things are half finished' (Mondrian quoted in Joop M. Joosten, Catalogue Raisonné of the Work of 1911-1944, New York, 1998, p. 461).