See Also

De Stijl

De Stijl was a Dutch artistic Art

By its original and broadest definition, art is the product or process of the effective application... 

 movement, founded in 1917. In a narrower sense, the term De Stijl is used to refer to a body of work created by a group of Dutch artists, from 1917 to 1931. De Stijl is also the name of a journal which was published by the painter and critic Theo van Doesburg Theo van Doesburg

[i], [[poetry]... 

, propagating the group's theories. Next to Van Doesburg, the group's principal members were the painters Piet Mondrian Piet Mondrian

Pieter Cornelis Mondriaan, after 1912 Mondrian,, Dutch painter ... 

 and Bart van der Leck, and the architects Gerrit Rietveld Gerrit Rietveld

Gerrit Thomas Rietveld , was a Dutch [i] design [i]er, architect [i] and cabinet maker. ... 

 and J.J.P. Oud Jacobus Oud

Jacobus Johannes Pieter Oud was a Dutch [i] architect [i]. ... 

. The artistic philosophy Philosophy

[i] ... 

 that formed a basis for the group's work is known as neoplasticism — the new plastic art .

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Encyclopedia


For the 2000 indie rock album by The White Stripes The White Stripes

The White Stripes are an American [i] minimalist [i] rock [i] ... 

, see De Stijl De Stijl

De Stijl was a Dutch artistic [i] movement, founded in 1917 [i]. ... 

.



De Stijl was a Dutch artistic Art

By its original and broadest definition, art is the product or process of the effective application... 

 movement, founded in 1917. In a narrower sense, the term De Stijl is used to refer to a body of work created by a group of Dutch artists, from 1917 to 1931.

De Stijl is also the name of a journal which was published by the painter and critic Theo van Doesburg Theo van Doesburg

[i], [[poetry]... 

, propagating the group's theories. Next to Van Doesburg, the group's principal members were the painters Piet Mondrian Piet Mondrian

Pieter Cornelis Mondriaan, after 1912 Mondrian,, Dutch painter
... 

 and Bart van der Leck, and the architects Gerrit Rietveld Gerrit Rietveld

Gerrit Thomas Rietveld
, was a Dutch [i] design [i]er, architect [i] and cabinet maker.
... 

 and J.J.P. Oud Jacobus Oud

Jacobus Johannes Pieter Oud was a Dutch [i] architect [i]. ... 

. The artistic philosophy Philosophy

[i]
... 

 that formed a basis for the group's work is known as neoplasticism — the new plastic art .

Proponents of De Stijl sought to express a new utopian Utopia

Utopia, in its most common and general positive meaning, refers to an imaginary, ideal civilizatio... 

 ideal of spiritual harmony and order. They advocated pure abstraction Abstract art

Abstract art is art [i] that appears to be without a story, but in reality may have a hidden meaning. ... 

 and universality by a reduction to the essentials of form and colour Color

Color or colour is the visual perceptual property corresponding in humans to the categories... 

 — they simplified visual compositions to the vertical and horizontal directions, and used only primary colors along with black and white White

White is a color [i] that has high brightness but zero hue [i]. ... 

.

Principles and influences

The name De Stijl is supposedly derived from Gottfried Semper Gottfried Semper

Gottfried Semper was a German [i] architect [i], art critic [i], and professor of architecture, ... 

's Der Stil in den technischen und tektonischen Künsten oder Praktische Ästhetik which Curlany of the group's three-dimensional works, vertical and horizontal lines are positioned in layers or planes that do not intersect, thereby allowing each element to exist independently and unobstructed by other elements. This feature can be found in the Rietveld Schröder House Rietveld Schröder House

... 

 and the Red and blue chair Red and Blue Chair

The Red Blue Chair was a chair designed in 1917 by Gerrit Rietveld [i].... 

.

De Stijl movement was influenced by Cubist Cubism

Cubism was an early 20th century [i] avant-garde [i] art movement [i] that revolutionized European [i] ... 

 painting, as well as by the mysticism and the ideas about 'ideal' geometric forms in the neoplatonic philosophy of the mathematician Mathematician

A mathematician is a person whose primary area of study and research is the field of mathematics [i]. ... 

 M. H. J. Schoenmaekers. The works of De Stijl would influence the Bauhaus Bauhaus

Bauhaus is the common term for the Staatliches Bauhaus, an art [i] and architecture [i] school in ... 

 style and the international style of architecture, as well as clothing and interior design.

In music Music

Music is an art, entertainment [i], or other human activity that involves organized and audible sounds a ... 

, De Stijl was only an influence on the work of the composer Jakob van Domselaer, a close friend of Mondrian. Between 1913 and 1916 he composed his Proeven van Stijlkunst ', inspired mainly by Mondrian's painting. This minimalistic and, at the time, revolutionary music defined 'horizontal' and 'vertical' musical elements, and aimed at balancing those two principles. Van Domselaer was relatively unknown in his lifetime, and did not play a significant role within De Stijl group.

History


Early history


From the flurry of new art movements that followed the Impressionists Impressionism

[i] that began as a loose association of [[Paris]... 

' revolutionary new perception of painting, Cubism Cubism

Cubism was an early 20th century [i] avant-garde [i] art movement [i] that revolutionized European [i] ... 

 arose in the early twentieth century 20th century

The 20th century started on 1 January [i] 1901 [i] and ended on 31 December [i] 2000 [i], according to t... 

 as an important and influential new direction. In the Netherlands Netherlands

The Netherlands is the Europe [i]an part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands [i] , which is formed ... 

, too, there was great interest in this 'new art'.

However, because the Netherlands remained neutral in World War I World War I

World War I, also known as the First World War, the Great War and "The War to End All War... 

, Dutch artists were not able to leave the country after 1914, and were thus effectively isolated from the international art world, and in particular from Paris, which was at that time its centre.

During that period, the painter Theo van Doesburg Theo van Doesburg

[i], [[poetry]... 

 started looking for other artists to set up a journal and start an art movement. Van Doesburg was also a writer, poet and critic, who had been more successful writing about art than working as an independent artist. Quite adept at making new contacts, due to his flamboyant personality and outgoing nature, he had many useful connections in the art world.

Founding of De Stijl


Around 1915, Van Doesburg started meeting the artists that would eventually become the founders of the journal. He first met Piet Mondrian Piet Mondrian

Pieter Cornelis Mondriaan, after 1912 Mondrian,, Dutch painter
... 

 at an exhibition in the Amsterdam Amsterdam

, the official capital [i] of the Netherlands [i], lies on the banks of two bodies of water, the IJ bay [i] ... 

 Stedelijk Museum. Mondrian, who had moved to Paris in 1912 , had been visiting Holland when war broke out. He could not return to Paris, and was staying in the artists community of Laren, where he met Bart van der Leck, and regularly saw M. H. J. Schoenmaekers. In 1915, Schoenmaekers published Het nieuwe wereldbeeld , followed in 1916 by Beginselen der beeldende wiskunde . These two publications would greatly influence Mondrian and other members of De Stijl.

Van Doesburg also knew J.J.P. Oud Jacobus Oud

Jacobus Johannes Pieter Oud was a Dutch [i] architect [i]. ... 

 and the Hungarian artist Vilmos Huszŕr Vilmos Huszŕr

... 

. In 1917, the cooperation of these artists, together with the poet Anthony Kok, resulted in the founding of De Stijl. The young architect Gerrit Rietveld Gerrit Rietveld

Gerrit Thomas Rietveld
, was a Dutch [i] design [i]er, architect [i] and cabinet maker.
... 

 joined the group in 1918.

During those first few years, the group was still relatively homogeneous, although Van der Leck left in 1918 due to artistic differences of opinion. 'Manifestos' were being published, signed by all members. The social and economic circumstances of the time formed an important source of inspiration for their theories. Their ideas about architecture were heavily influenced by Berlage Hendrik Petrus Berlage

Hendrik Petrus Berlage, Amsterdam [i], February 12 [i] 1856 [i] — The Hague [i] August 12 [i] 1934 [i] ... 

 and Frank Lloyd Wright Frank Lloyd Wright

Frank Lloyd Wright , Master of the Organic Architecture [i], was one of the most prominent and inf ... 

.

The name Nieuwe Beelding was a term first coined in 1917 by Mondrian, who wrote a series of twelve articles called De Nieuwe Beelding in de schilderkunst ', that were published in the journal De Stijl. In 1920 he published a book titled Le Neo-Plasticisme.

After 1920


Around 1921, the group's character started to change. From the time of Van Doesburg's association with Bauhaus Bauhaus

Bauhaus is the common term for the Staatliches Bauhaus, an art [i] and architecture [i] school in ... 

, other influences started playing a role. These influences were mainly Malevich Kazimir Malevich

Kazimir Severinovich Malevich , was a painter and art theoretician, pioneer of geometric abstract art [i] ... 

 and Russian Constructivism, to which not all members agreed. In 1923 Mondrian and Van Doesburg had a falling-out. In addition, De Stijl group acquired many new 'members'. Dadaist Dada

Dada or Dadaism is a cultural movement [i] that began in neutral Zrich [i], Switzerland [i], durin ... 

 influences, such as I.K.Bonset Theo van Doesburg

[i], [[poetry]... 

's poetry and Aldo Camini Theo van Doesburg

[i], [[poetry]... 

's 'anti-philosophy' generated controversy as well. Only after Van Doesburg's death it was revealed that Bonset and Camini were two of his pseudonyms.

After Van Doesburg's death

Theo van Doesburg died in Davos Davos

Davos is a town in eastern Switzerland [i], in the canton [i] of Graubnden [i], o ... 

 in 1931. His wife Nelly administered his estate.

Because of Van Doesburg's pivotal role within De Stijl, the group did not survive. Individual members remained in contact, but De Stijl could not exist without a strong central character. Thus it may be wrong to think of De Stijl as a close-knit group of artists. The members knew each other, but most communication took place by letter Letter

A letter is a written [i] message [i] from one person to another. ... 

. For example, Mondrian and Rietveld never met in person.

Many, though not all, artists did stay true to the movement's basic ideas, even after 1931. Rietveld, for instance, continued designing furniture according to De Stijl principles, while Mondrian continued working in the style he had initiated around 1920. Van der Leck, on the other hand, went back to figurative compositions after his departure from the group.

Influence on architecture


The De Stijl influence on architecture remained considerable, long after 1931. Mies van der Rohe Ludwig Mies van der Rohe

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe was a German architect [i].
... 

 was among the most important proponents of its ideas. Between 1923 and 1924, Rietveld Gerrit Rietveld

Gerrit Thomas Rietveld
, was a Dutch [i] design [i]er, architect [i] and cabinet maker.
... 

 designed the Rietveld Schröder House Rietveld Schröder House

... 

, the only building to have been created completely according to De Stijl principles. Examples of Stijl-influenced works by J.J.P. Oud Jacobus Oud

Jacobus Johannes Pieter Oud was a Dutch [i] architect [i]. ... 

 can be found in Rotterdam Rotterdam

Rotterdam , located in the province of South Holland [i], is the second largest municipality in the Netherlands [i]... 

  and Hoek van Holland Hoek van Holland

[i] is a town in South Holland [i] in the Netherlands [i] ... 

.

Present day

De Stijl is still considered to be one of the most important Dutch contributions to art. Ironically, while its proponents' aim was to create an 'international' style, De Stijl is often seen as typically Dutch.

Works of De Stijl members are scattered all over the world, but De Stijl-themed exhibitions are organised regularly. Museums with large De Stijl collections include the Gemeentemuseum at The Hague The Hague

The Hague is the third-largest city in the Netherlands [i] after Amsterdam [i] and Rotterdam [i] ... 

, which owns the world's most extensive ) Mondrian collection, and the Amsterdam Amsterdam

, the official capital [i] of the Netherlands [i], lies on the banks of two bodies of water, the IJ bay [i] ... 

 Stedelijk Museum, where many works by Rietveld and Van Doesburg are on display. The Centraal Museum of Utrecht has the largest Rietveld collection worldwide. It also owns the Rietveld Schröder House Rietveld Schröder House

... 

, Rietveld's adjacent 'show house', and the Rietveld Schröder Archives.

List of neoplasticists

This list is not exhaustive. Because of the loose associations many artists had with De Stijl, it is difficult to get a complete overview of contributors.
  • Max Bill Max Bill

    Max Bill was a Swiss [i] architect [i], artist, and designer [i].

... 

  architect and designer
  • Ilya Bolotowsky  painter
  • Burgoyne Diller  painter
  • Theo van Doesburg Theo van Doesburg

    [i], [[poetry]... 

      painter, designer and writer, published "De Stijl " 1917 – 1931
  • Cornelis van Eesteren  architect
  • Jean Gorin  painter
  • Robert van't Hoff  architect
  • Vilmos Huszŕr Vilmos Huszŕr

    ... 

      painter
  • Anthony Kok  poet
  • Bart van der Leck  painter
  • Piet Mondrian Piet Mondrian

    Pieter Cornelis Mondriaan, after 1912 Mondrian,, Dutch painter

... 

  painter
  • Marlow Moss  painter and sculptor
  • J.J.P. Oud Jacobus Oud

    Jacobus Johannes Pieter Oud was a Dutch [i] architect [i]. ... 

      architect
  • Amédée Ozenfant Amédée Ozenfant

    Amde Ozenfant was a French [i] cubist [i] painter [i].

... 

  painter

, was a Dutch [i] design [i]er, architect [i] and cabinet maker.
... 

  architect and designer
  • Georges Vantongerloo Georges Vantongerloo

    Georges Vantongerloo was a Belgian abstract sculptor and painter and founding member of the De Stijl [i] ... 

      sculptor
  • Friedrich Vordemberge-Gildewart Friedrich Vordemberge-Gildewart

    Friedrich Vordemberge-Gildewart was a German [i] Neo-plasticist [i] painter. ... 

    n Wils]] architect

Trivia

  • The second album Album

    An album is a collection of related audio [i] tracks distributed to the public. ... 

     of the American United States

    The United States of America, also known as the United States, the U.S., the U.S.A., a... 

     rock band The White Stripes The White Stripes

    The White Stripes are an American [i] minimalist [i] rock [i] ... 

     is called De Stijl De Stijl

    De Stijl was a Dutch artistic [i] movement, founded in 1917 [i]. ... 

    . The band's members, Jack White Jack White (musician)

    [i]

... 

 and Meg White Meg White

Megan Martha White is best known as the drummer [i] of Detroit rock duo The White Stripes [i]. ... 

 are admirers of the movement.
  • Musician, producer, and promoter Clint Simonson's Minneapolis Minneapolis, Minnesota

    Minneapolis.
  • Minnesota State Highway 65 [i] follows Central Avenue through Northeast Minneapolis, and ... 

    -based record label is known as De Stijl Records.
  • The third act of Dutch composer Louis Andriessen's opera De Materie is named De Stijl, and has Mondrian and the movement as its subject matter. The piece is structured around a 'reading' of Mondrian's painting Compositie met rood, geel en blauw .

References


Further reading


External links

  • Scans of the complete first volume of the journal
  • Essay about
  • Rare recording of Jakob van Domselaer's .