Composition III (Still life) 1916

Theo van Doesburg made this painting, Composition III (Still Life), with oil on canvas. A medium of choice for artists at the time, oil paint provided rich colors, smooth surfaces, and a high level of detail, all with relative ease. Van Doesburg was part of the De Stijl movement, which emphasized the reduction of compositions to basic geometric forms and primary colors. The arrangement is meticulously constructed, with each shape and color carefully considered in relation to the others. It’s a long way from the gestural immediacy that was beginning to emerge elsewhere. Consider the labor-intensive process of creating such a work. Unlike craft, which foregrounds the hand, this kind of geometric abstraction seeks to erase all traces of its making. The piece is as much about what's missing as what is present, which also affects our perception. The painting embodies the industrial aesthetic of the early 20th century, celebrating the aesthetics of the machine age. This work invites us to consider the relationship between art, industry, and the quest for a universal visual language.