Mondrian/De Stijl Exhibition Catalogs Reviewed

Two catalogs accompany the Mondrian/De Stijl exhibition at the Centre Pompidou, considered the best show by the Musée National d'Art Moderne in years. The first catalog opens with curator Brigitte Léal's text on Mondrian's Parisian period, highlighting urban influence on abstraction alongside cubism, despite cubists and Parisian institutions snubbing him. Carel Blotkamp covers the evolution of the studio decor, and Anne de Mondenard discusses photographs of the studio by Kertész. Extracts from Mondrian's correspondence with Rosenberg and Zervos are presented by Christian Derouet, with studies by Serge Lemoine, Arnauld Pierre, and Wietse Coppes. Thierry de Duve's brilliant analysis describes Mondrian painting in the second person, addressing his medium. The De Stijl catalog includes thematic dossiers on the journal, architectural projects, and films. Frédéric Migayrou's text explains Nieuwe Beelding (mistranslated as neoplasticism), the paradox of 'stijl' for an anti-subjectivist movement, and ties to theosophy. A separate volume collects Mondrian's French writings.