Alberi 1908

Piet Mondrian made Alberi with oil on canvas, though we don't know exactly when. The earthy colors and visible brushstrokes are like a little dance of process. It’s clear that he's really getting to know what paint can do. The way Mondrian applies the paint here is so interesting. The surface has all these delicious lumps and bumps that catch the light, making the trees almost three-dimensional, like they’re reaching out of the canvas. The colours, mainly browns, greens and creams, work together. Look at the branch on the right. It's not just a line, it's a whole series of strokes that together suggest the essence of a tree. The texture is so tangible it practically begs you to reach out and touch it. Think about this painting in relation to Mondrian's later, more abstract works. You see how he's already stripping away the details, focusing on the underlying structure and rhythm? It makes me think of Cezanne, who was also obsessed with the architecture of nature. It's all about seeing the world in a new way.