Mondrian and Photography: Picturing the Artist and His Work

The public image of Piet Mondrian (1872–1944) is usually one of a serious man in a suit and tie with a reserved, rather aloof demeanor. This image was shaped by a small group of some 10 photographs, although there are around 400 known photographs of the artist and his studios that provide a far more balanced and livelier portrait of the real Mondrian.
This gorgeous book is not a biography but rather a visual account of Mondrian’s life that vividly evokes the world of this most emblematically modern of artists. The archival photographs reproduced here show that Mondrian’s studios in Amsterdam, Paris and New York were works of art themselves, as fascinating as the guests seen visiting them. Also included here are snapshots showing Mondrian’s daily life, taken during journeys or visits; photographs of openings and dinners; and formal portraits that he used to promote the image of a serious and uncompromising artist. Detailed captions and richly illustrated essays on the significance of photography in the context of Mondrian’s work make this book an extraordinary document of his time.