Line of Trees in Marshy Landscape
Line of Trees in Marshy Landscape
Line of Trees in Marshy Landscape
By Piet Mondriaan
Line of Trees in Marshy Landscape
Line of Trees in Marshy Landscape
Line of Trees in Marshy Landscape

An early landscape watercolour by Mondriaan influenced by the Hague School. Light and atmosphere occupy centre stage. Only later in his career would Mondriaan start to paint abstract pieces. The watercolour shows the river Gein, south east of Amsterdam. There is a farmhouse next to the river, while in front of it we see a line of trees and a marshy field. The farmhouse is at the centre. The shape of the group of trees and the swampy field create and ellipse, which appears to encircle the farmhouse. In this we can see an indication of Mondriaan’s future abstract work. This horizontal ellipse reappears in his later paintings and in an increasingly abstract form.