History primary colours Red Yellow Blue (RYB)
From Mondriaan to Dutch Design – 100 years of De Stijl
2017 marks 100 years since Theo van Doesburg established a journal called De Stijl to showcase the artistic philosophy of the Dutch art movement De Stijl (Dutch for ‘The Style’). World-famous artists like Piet Mondriaan, Gerrit Rietveld and Bart van der Leck were members of the avant-garde movement. Piet Mondriaan was the shining example of De Stijl. Designers and architects adopted his use of primary colors and horizontal and vertical lines in their architecture, furniture, fashion and advertising. De Stijl greatly influenced art and the world around us, and today it remains in the DNA of the world-renowned Dutch Design. To commemorate this centenary, a variety of events and exhibitions are being organized in the Netherlands in 2017 with the theme From Mondriaan to Dutch Design.
FEATURED
- NBTC | Mondriaan to Dutch Design – Trailer
- Mondrian & The Stijl at Berlage’s Gemeentemuseum Den Haag
- Mondrian-style paintwork covers Richard Meier’s City Hall in The Hague
De Stijl
Two major avant-garde movements exemplified international art, design and architecture. They are the Dutch De Stijl and the German Bauhaus. De Stijl originated in Leiden in 1917 when Van Doesburg founded the journal De Stijl. Artists who joined De Stijl sought a totally ‘new art’ that would also modernize society. Piet Mondriaan stood as the masterful example for all De Stijl artists. They each used, in their own way, Mondriaan’s strict geometry of vertical and horizontal lines and followed his primary colors in their buildings, furniture, streets, fashion and advertising. This geometric visual language and the belief that architecture and design were capable of improving the world around us remain deeply rooted in Dutch Design in the Netherlands. To this very day, the basic principles of the De Stijl movement continue to inspire countless Dutch designers, including Hella Jongerius, Maarten Baas, Joris Laarman and Piet Hein Eek.
Throughout 2017, there will be celebrations of 100 years of De Stijl with numerous large and small exhibitions in various cities in the Netherlands, all centered around the theme From Mondriaan to Dutch Design.