Piet Mondrian

Mondrian began by painting Dutch landscapes and windmills; inspired by Cubism, he gradually reduced trees and buildings to horizontal and vertical lines.

With Theo van Doesburg and others he founded De Stijl and developed Neo-Plasticism, using only straight lines, right angles, the three primaries and black, white and grey. He moved to New York during the Second World War, where jazz gave his late work a new rhythm.