Amsterdam Skyline Viewed from the West 1894 - 1904

Piet Mondrian created 'Amsterdam Skyline Viewed from the West' with traditional materials: paint, paper, and charcoal. The hazy charcoal marks evoke a specific atmosphere. The subtle tonal gradations almost invite us to touch, but also consider the labor of the person who is pushing the wheelbarrow in the background. Mondrian’s deft handling of materials encourages us to consider the social realities that underpin artistic representations. The city, barely visible, becomes a site of potential labor and industrious production. The river, a life source that runs into and from the city, is also filled with cargo boats, and so becomes a place of work. Mondrian has left the charcoal exposed, so we might be reminded of the physical effort involved in artistic creation, or the wider world of labor and social relations. By foregrounding materiality, making, and social context, we can fully appreciate the layers of meaning present in his work.