Analysis of Mondrian’s Composition and Munch’s The Scream
Composition in Red, Yellow and Blue by Piet Mondrian
Classification
Abstract painting, oil on canvas, 0.75 x 0.65 m
Composition
An abstract composition of geometric shapes on a white background. Squares and rectangles of different colors and sizes are distributed across the canvas. The pure, crisp, and bright colors—red, yellow, and blue—are alternately distributed. Mondrian’s primary concern was not the colors themselves, but the metric power relations between them. The painter’s task was to harmonize these forms within the two dimensions of the canvas. The poetry lies in the rectangular limits without isolating primary colors. The result is a balanced composition characterized by functionality and rationality.
Thematic Content
The simple distribution of colored elements on a white surface creates a rhythm. This rhythm of forms evokes feelings. The painting is part of an ongoing series of variations by the artist. It represents a move toward Surrealism, where the artwork becomes an autonomous reality. The color combinations express a deep, almost musical, need.
Neoplasticism is based on a strict orthogonal warp and the use of elementary colors. These colors retain their sensory qualities of surface, texture, and color, reduced to a primary palette. The De Stijl group of painters embraced this association between shapes and colors.
Function and Possible Significance
The work’s ideological significance is marked by the Neoplatonic mystical school of thought prevalent in Holland during World War I. This philosophy advocated rejecting material reality in favor of a spiritual realm.
Antecedents and Consequences
Mondrian’s theories championed a progressive abstraction. The rigor of Neoplasticism provoked criticism, yet it is considered the origin of geometric abstraction. Mondrian’s designs have become highly influential and imitated.
Location and Context
Europe was in an unstable situation, marked by nationalist movements and economic rivalries. The Russian Revolution impacted European society. Economic instability and the threat of communism triggered the resurgence of fascism.
Identifying the Author’s Work
The work is Composition in Red, Yellow and Blue by Piet Mondrian. Its cubist design contrasts with Dada’s irrationality. Mondrian’s abstraction eliminated references to objects. By 1920, he suppressed depth in his paintings, featuring pure elements on a white background: thick black lines and primary colors. Later, he replaced black lines with colored lines and dynamic rectangles. De Stijl’s theories on simplicity influenced abstraction in architecture, industrial design, and graphic arts.
The Scream by Edvard Munch
Classification
Non-figurative painting, tempera and pastel on wood, 0.91 x 0.735 m
Composition
The work depicts an androgynous figure with a look of despair, hands covering their ears, and mouth open in a scream. Two figures walk away in the background, leaving the main figure isolated. A landscape of sky, earth, two boats, and a belfry is visible beyond a railing. Undulating bands suggest sound waves emanating from the scream. The lack of symmetry and unnatural colors create a sense of unease. The landscape of sea, sky, and earth is built upon undulations. The asymmetry and imbalance convey the figure’s anguish.
Thematic Content
The painting is a self-portrait reflecting Munch’s feelings of loneliness and existential angst.
Stylistic Language
The work’s expressive style, characterized by color contrasts and the figure’s anguish, aligns with Expressionism, a movement contrasting with Impressionism. Expressionism, prevalent around 1910, is evident in painters like Ensor, Rouault, and Nolde. In Germany, two major Expressionist movements emerged: Die Brücke (The Bridge), with formal characteristics similar to Fauvism, and Der Blaue Reiter (The Blue Rider), influenced by Cubism and Futurism.
Chronology of the Period
The Scream is considered a precursor to later Expressionist movements.
Function and Possible Significance
Munch aimed to reflect the hidden corners of the human soul. The Scream expresses his inner world and loneliness. It’s a self-portrait exploring themes of isolation and the human condition.
Antecedents and Consequences
Two antecedent works are Death in the Sickroom and Karl Johann Street at Night. The painting’s influence is seen in Munch’s many versions of The Scream and its impact on Die Brücke.
Location and Context
Munch painted The Scream in Paris, a center of contemporary thought and social protest.
Identification of the Work
The work is The Scream, created using tempera and pastel. Munch’s painting rejects Impressionism’s neutral themes, focusing on expressing moods. Other notable works include The Dance of Life and Puberty.