Composition with Red, Blue and Yellow (1930)

Description

Composition with Red Blue and Yellow (1930) brings Piet Mondrian’s distinctive geometry into a vivid balance of color and space. A broad red rectangle commands the upper right, while a smaller blue field and a narrow accent of yellow anchor the lower edge. Thick black lines divide these colors from open white areas, creating a rhythm that feels both deliberate and alive.

Mondrian painted this work at the request of the Swiss architect Alfred Roth. The original, an oil painting measuring 45 × 45 centimeters, is now in the Kunsthaus Zürich collection, where it arrived as Roth’s gift in 1987. Its German title is Komposition mit Rot, Blau und Gelb; the museum also records the English title Composition with Red, Blue and Yellow and the French Composition en rouge, bleu et jaune.

There is more to Composition with Red Blue and Yellow than its apparent simplicity. The unequal fields and shifting weight of the colors invite the eye to move across the entire surface. In a room, this Piet Mondrian composition offers a strong focal point: clean geometry, concentrated color and enough open space to complement both spare modern interiors and more eclectic surroundings.