De Stijl, or Neoplasticism is one of the most recognizable styles in all of modern art. Consisting only of horizontal and vertical lines and the colors red, yellow, blue, black, and white, De Stijl was applied not only to easel painting but also to architecture and a broad range of designed objects from furniture to clothing.
The History
De Stijl is an art and design movement that was founded around 1917 in Holland. The movement strived to express certain universal concepts through reduction, elimination, simplification and abstraction. The use of primary colors, gray, black and white, and planes, rectangles and verticals was involved.
De Stijl was born from a group of Dutch artists, architects and sculptors (named Dada) who had the idea of finding a new kind of beauty that was radically different from the classic beauty. They wanted it to be completely unrelated or to lack even a glimpse into the life elements(any elements related to life). Instead they chose to use the basic elements of the design, such as points, lines and planes (Dots, Lines & Planes) together with primary colors or primary colors such as yellow, red, blue and black to create unique and outstanding work in that era.
Piet Mondrian, a Dutch artist, was one of the co-founders of the De Stijl group and one of the group’s most important and prominent painters. Initially in the profession, Mondrian studied and created works in the Impressionist genre before turning his attention to and developing his work in Cubism. He then turned to the development of his writing in the genre of Neoplasticism. During World War I he had to move from Paris back to his home in the Netherlands until almost the end of World War I. He moved back to Paris and joined Theo Van Doesburg to form the De Stijl Group in 1917.
Piet Mondrian’s outstanding works are based on the use of point, line and plane elements in combination with primary colors such as red, yellow and blue. They resulted in abstract works that created a new phenomenon in the art industry
The established De Stijl group has created a new twist and challenged the art and design community. It emerged from the courage of certain artists to use only a few basic elements to create an impressive portfolio. The work of this group has also influenced other sculpture, architecture and various print media work as well.
What are the main features of De Stijl?
The main features of the De Stijl style are its simplicity, clean lines, and minimalism. Its color palette is usually limited to just three or four shades, such as red, blue, and yellow. The shapes used in this style are typically rectangles and squares that are arranged in symmetrical patterns.
The result was an almost surreal painting brought to life, as the spatial reconstruction of the painting featured:
- Right angles in square and rectangular shapes
- Basic and primary colors (reds, blues, and yellows)
- Neutral colors (blacks and whites)
- White space
- Straight lines, both vertical and horizontal
- Attention to form first instead of aesthetics (although you could argue that the design is eye-catching)
What materials are used in De Stijl?
The materials used in De Stijl interiors are usually limited to natural elements like:
- wood,
- metal,
- stone.
Furniture is often constructed with basic wooden frames and lacks any ornamental carvings or decorations. Textiles play an important role in De Stijl design as well; fabrics such as velvet, silk, and linen are often used to add texture and visual interest to the space.
What colors are used in De Stijl?
De Stijl artists sought to reduce visual composition to its most basic elements in order to express universalities. They defined those basic elements as horizontal and vertical lines and a simplified palette consisting of only black, white, and primary colors
De Stijl is a type of interior design that uses a limited number of colors, usually just three or four, such as red, blue and yellow.
What was the goal of De Stijl?
In response to the devastation caused by World War I, de Stijl artists aimed to achieve a visual harmony in art that could provide a model for restoring order and balance to everyday life.
The goal of De Stijl was to create a harmonious and balanced aesthetic that evoked a sense of order and simplicity. It aimed to achieve this through its use of bold geometric shapes, clean lines, limited colors, and minimal ornamental carvings or decorations. The overall effect was intended to be calming, serene, and elegant.
De Stijl was one of a number of modern movements that believed its utopian aspirations would be best achieved by creating total environments, over which the designer (not the inhabitant) had complete control. As we imagine living in Rietveld’s Schröder House, we may be put off, not only by the barren minimalism of the hard, geometric surfaces, but also by the total lack of individual personality or whimsy. These are environments to which the occupant is expected to conform, rather than adapting the decor to fit the individual tastes of the occupant.
What may appear repugnant in our era, which prizes individual differences and self-expression, was actively embraced by many modern architects and designers. For Mondrian, “If our material environment is to be pure in its beauty and therefore healthy and practical, it can no longer be the reflection of the egotistic sentiments of our petty personality.” If a total De Stijl environment were to expand from the painting, to the home or office interior, to the street and city itself, then all individual components of the environment must be subsumed to an overarching, homogeneous design. Mondrian continues, “And man? Nothing in himself, he will be part of the whole; and losing his petty and pathetic individual pride, he will be happy in the Eden he will have created!”