Summer, Dune in Zeeland 1910

Piet Mondrian painted "Summer, Dune in Zeeland" with oil on canvas, in the early 20th century, a time of great social and artistic change. Mondrian, who came from a strict Calvinist background, sought spiritual truth through his art. Here, the traditional landscape is reduced to its essential forms. The bright yellows and blues are not merely representational; they convey a sense of energy and light. The horizon line is almost lost. This flattening anticipates Mondrian’s later, purely abstract works. "I wish to approach truth as closely as is possible, and therefore I abstract everything until I arrive at the fundamental quality of objects" Mondrian said of his practice. The painting is not just a visual experience, but an emotional one. The simplification encourages us to meditate on the basic elements of nature, reflecting a broader cultural movement towards abstraction and a search for universal truths beyond the material world. The painting encapsulates a moment of transition in art history. It moves away from traditional representation and heads towards a future where art explores the depths of human perception and feeling.