The Figurative Mondrian, the exhibition at Paris Musée Marmottan Monet is on

Mondrian figuratif is on view at the Musée Marmottan Monet from September 12, 2019 to January 26, 2020. For the occasion, 67 works by Piet Mondrian are brought together, half of which are presented for the first time in Paris. On display is Moulin dans la clarté du soleil (1908), his last work to leave the Netherlands. A real event!

A Mondrian exhibition in Paris! This is sure to please, especially as, for once, it doesn't feature the painter's best-known canvases, but rather a true (re)discovery of the Dutchman.

From September 12 to January 26, 2020, 67 figurative works by Piet Mondrian, purchased by Salomon Slijper (1884-1971), will be on show at the Musée Marmottan Monet.

The son of a diamond merchant, Slijper quickly developed a passion for the painter, particularly his figurative paintings, and became Mondrian's main buyer. Before his death, he created the Gemeentemuseum in The Hague with his collection, the largest in the world.

Of the works on show, half will be traveling to Paris for the first time. This will also be the last time that Le Moulin dans la clarté du soleil (1908) will leave its original museum, due to its fragility.

While theexhibition is devoted to the painter's figurative paintings, it begins with Composition N°IV, the first work acquired by Salomon Slijper, a purely abstract work that corresponds to the collective image we have of Mondrian's output. Next to it is Le Lièvre Mort (1891), a still life in the pure Dutch tradition.

After this still life, the Musée Marmottan Monet invites us to discover Mondrian's figurative works, starting with the landscapes of the Gooi region (east of Amsterdam), the earliest of which were painted in chiaroscuro, then with sharp colors.

In 1907, Mondrian took a turning point in his painting, considering that "the colors of nature cannot be imitated on canvas". He decided to take color contrasts to extremes, as in Moulin dans le crépuscule (1907-1908) and Bois près d'Oele (1908).

Then there's Moulin (1911), bright against a blue background, vivid with its two deep colors. Alongside these colorful mills, we see cold farmhouses - Farm at Duivendrecht (1916), Geinrust Farm in the Mist (circa 1906-1907) - in oil and charcoal. One explanation: he adopted the ochre palette of cubists Braque and Picasso.

Alongside these landscapes are a number of portraits, including Dévotion (1908), reminiscent of Van Gogh's Portrait of a Girl (1908), and self-portraits, three in all, including a self-portrait of Mondrian posing in front of an abstract checkerboard canvas (1918).

We can't wait!

Please note that it's been over 4 years since our last visit, so the place and experience may have changed.