Sketch Book for the Artist

PIET MONDRIAN
Dutch Pure abstract painter preoccupied with line
and plane relationships. With increasing austerity,
Mondrian banished the subject from his drawings,
in his later work he also banished space, composing
visual harmonies using only straight lines and flat
planes of black, white, gray, or primary color.

Atmosphere Here we see how shapes of

negative space are as important as the

physical subject they enclose (see pp.58-59).

Mondrian has again lightly dragged his chalk on

its side to evoke a wet depth of atmosphere.

These passive gray marks contrast with the

assertive tension of the tree.

Winter ground Short vertical marks along

the bottom of this drawing reveal the length

of the black chalk Mondrian used. Rubbed

on its side, it roughly blocks in the ground.

The crude economy of line is all we need

to feel the cold, wet, unwelcoming quality

of this winter earth.

Branches and trunk Lines shaping the branches of

the tree are built up in layers. To make the trunk

more dense, the artist has rubbed and smudged

preliminary marks with his fingers before firmly

overdrawing with new lines. Solid black lines are

achieved by pressing the chalk hard. When used

lightly, it shows the texture of the paper.

Tree: Study for the Grey Tree

1911

23 x 335 / 8 in (584 x 855 mm)

PIET MONDRIAN

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