De
Stijl
A
movement and magazine founded in Holland in 1917 by
Van Doesburg and Mondrian. These men believed that
art should strive towards complete harmony, order and
clarity in a constant process of refinement. The work
of De StijI was therefore austere and geometrical,
using mainly square forms. It was composed of the
simplest elements: straight lines and pure, primary
colours. The movement's aims were deeply
philosophical and were rooted in the idea that art
should in some way reflect the mystery and order of
the universe. The movement came to an end in 1931
after Van Doesburg's death, but had a profound effect
on architecture and art in Europe.
Representative
painters:
Van Doesburg,
Mondrian