Field with Young Trees in the Foregroundc. 1907 · Study 1971.220

Context from the museum

This painting depicts a field around the hamlet of Oele in the eastern Netherlands, where Mondrian lived during the summer of 1907. The evocative mood created by the trees silhouetted against a twilight sky suggests that Mondrian’s search for spirituality was present before he began painting completely abstract or non-objective compositions in 1916. Guided by readings in metaphysics and philosophy, Mondrian sought to achieve a higher spiritual reality in his paintings, which eventually led him to eliminate all representational elements in favor of a style of pure geometric abstraction.

Museum description reproduced from its CC0 open-access record. Read the original catalog entry.

A detail to notice

Mondrian was a prolific writer drawn to spiritual studies and he believed that art and philosophy were deeply interconnected.

Observation supplied by the Cleveland Museum of Art.

Read the dimensions before the image

The selected unframed measurement for Field with Young Trees in the Foreground is 72 cm wide and 65.7 cm high, equivalent to approximately 28.3 × 25.9 inches. Dividing width by height gives a format ratio of 1.10:1. The rectangular bounding area is 0.47 square meters; it describes the measured footprint, not the amount of paint or the monetary value.

On an illustrative 300 cm wall, the recorded width occupies 24.0% of the span before adding a frame. A centered placement leaves approximately 114.0 cm on each side before adding a frame. These are calculations by Physical Art For Crypto using museum measurements. They are not the museum’s display recommendations.

Questions to bring to your own collection

With Field with Young Trees in the Foreground in view, identify one feature you can point to, then distinguish what the museum records from your personal response. Keep its medium, oil on paper laid on board, in your notes when comparing contemporary works.

• Which part of this horizontal composition catches your eye first?
• Would a 72 cm width still suit the space after allowing for furniture and a frame?
• What surface detail would you need to see in person or in a close photograph?