The Courtauld Gallery presents Mondrian II Nicholson: In Parallel. The exhibition examines the creative relationship between Piet Mondrian and Ben Nicholson, and the parallel artistic paths taken by the two artists during the 1930s.
The focal point of the display is Ben Nicholson’s painting 1937 (1937). All the items on display have a particular historical significance. Some were shown together in exhibitions, or discussed in avant-garde publications of the time, while others were purchased by members of Nicholson's circle of friends. Others were created during the period when the two men worked in neighbouring studios in Hampstead. The exhibition also includes photographs and correspondence, providing a valuable insight into their intriguing friendship.
The installation is curated by Professor Christopher Green, The Courtauld Institute of Art, and Dr Barnaby Wright, Daniel Katz Curator of 20th Century Art, The Courtauld Gallery. The venture is sponsored by ING; Abellio Group; Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, London; The Friends of the Courtauld, and NautaDutilh. Further support has been provided by Crane Kalman; Hester Diamond; Richard Green; Hazlitt Holland-Hibbert; The Headley Trust and the Bernard Jacobson Gallery.
Piet Mondrian
The Dutch painter Piet Mondrian (1872-1944) studied at the Amsterdam Academy. His early works depicted sombre landscapes in typical Dutch style. In the first decade of the 20th century his style changed. Landscapes became brilliantly coloured and heavily stylised, reflecting the influence of artists such as Munch and Matisse.
He moved to Paris in 1909 where the influence of Cubism was to be a major turning point in his artistic development: his work became linear and planear comprising flat rectangles of primary colours. By 1917 his work featured blocks of primary colours and non-colours, such as black, white and occasionally grey, separated by flat grids of black lines. Mondrian called his art 'Neo-plasticism', an expression of universal harmony.
Ben Nicholson
The English painter Ben Nicholson (1894-1982) was the son of painters Sir William Nicholson and Mabel Pryde. He created his first abstract works in the mid-1920s chosing an experimental form reflecting Cubism, possibly influenced by Pablo Picasso, whose work he had first seen in 1921. By the 1930s, all figurative elements had disappeared. Nicholson developed his distinctive style in two very different, but closely related media: white-painted low reliefs, and paintings such as 1937, mentioned above.
Piet Mondrian and Ben Nicholson's Enduring Creative Friendship
Although Mondrian was twenty years older than Nicholson when they first met, this was not a master and follower relationship. Mondrian greatly admired Nicholson who was instrumental in getting Mondrian's work exhibited in England. Mondrian's reputation as a leading artist was well established, and Nicholson was already acknowledged as an outstanding modern artist. When Nicholson visited Mondrian in Paris in 1934, he was unprepared for the sensation of serenity brought on by Mondrian's white-painted studio, lined with squares of primary colours.
In 1938, on Nicholson's invitation, Mondrian moved to London where he remained for almost two years. The artists worked in neighbouring studios in Parkhill Road, Hampstead, contributing to the same exhibitions where their work was often shown side-by-side. During this time Nicholson produced an important group of coloured abstracts, including 1937, as well as a number of pure white reliefs hand-carved from wooden panels.
With the outbreak of World War II Nicholson moved to Cornwall and Mondrian to New York. The exhibition concludes with two paintings. Ben Nicholson's 1940-3 (two forms) and Piet Mondrian's Composition No. III White-Yellow (1935-42) demonstrate how the two artists continued to work in parallel with one another even though they were separated by thousands of miles. This fascinating relationship lasted until Mondrian's death in 1944.
Mondrian II Nicholson: In Parallel is supported by a fully-illustrated 160-page paperback publication produced by Paul Holberton and The Courtauld Gallery (ISBN 978 1 907372 247, £25). The book, edited by Christopher Green and Barnaby Wright, includes contributions by Sophie Bowness and Lee Beard.
Related Display – Lines crossed - grids and rhythms on paper
A related exhibition looks at the role of grids in drawings. Works drawn from the Courtauld's own collections range from the Renaissance to the 21st century.
Mondrian II Nicholson: In Parallel will be on view from 16th February to 20th May 2012. The gallery is hosting a comprehensive programme of public events, and further information can be obtained from The Courtauld Gallery.
Frances Spiegel - Frances Spiegel, B.A. Hons. (Open)., Dip.Eur.Hum., read Art History/European Modern History at the Open University.
