When you are looking at Mid Century Modern buildings and furnishings, they might remind you at times of some bold geometric modernist art and architecture you’ve seen by artists like Piet Mondrian, Theo van Doesburg, J.J.P. Oud, Jan Wils, and others. These artists were part of the Dutch movement known as De Stijl.
What is the De Stijl Movement?
The De Stijl movement was founded in 1917 in the Netherlands. The name translates to simply “The Style.” Dutch painter Piet Mondrian wrote an essay called “Neo-Plasticism in Pictorial Art” in which he set out some of its principles. He said:
“This new plastic idea will ignore the particulars of appearance, that is to say, natural form and colour. On the contrary, it should find its expression in the abstraction of form and colour, that is to say, in the straight line and the clearly defined primary colour.”
Initially, the rules of De Stijl were very rigid, conforming to neo-plasticism. But in 1924, De Stijl began to allow diagonal lines, in keeping with Elementarism. De Stijl works opted for balance instead of symmetry, and utilized visual tension. “Stijl” doesn’t just translate to “Style.” It also refers to a support post. So, it is a pun referencing the criss-cross of straight lines and rectangular forms in De Stijl artworks.
Influence of De Stijl Movement on Mid Century Modern
Let’s consider some of the ways that De Stijl has influenced Mid Century Modern architecture.
- Asymmetry: Mid Century Modern buildings commonly do not feature completely symmetrical designs. Many of them are very deliberately asymmetrical, just like De Stijl works. As with De Stijl, however, MCM architects strive to achieve balance and continuity, providing a sense of harmony and completeness.
- Rectangles:If you didn’t know better, you might think that the Utrecht-Netherlands House below was designed during the mid century. But it dates all the way back to 1924. Gerrit Rietveld built it according to the principles of De Stijl. Note its use of rectangles, intersecting planes, and neutral and primary colors.
Pictured above is the Edith Farnsworth House constructed in 1951. This is one of the most famous works by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. It exemplifies the International Style, a subset of Mid Century Modern architecture. Notice the emphasis on rectangles and intersecting planes. You can see the influence of De Stijl.
- Clean lines and Simple Forms: Something else to note about De Stijl is that it is characterized by simplicity. The geometric forms and lines have a clean, uncluttered appearance. That same simplicity informs Mid Century Modern architecture and design.
- Bold pops of color: Mid Century Modern architecture often features bold pops of color among more neutral tones. The influence of De Stijl is obvious in the design of the staircase in the Bauhaus building in Dessau. Bold lines, geometric forms, and bright pops of color immediately make one picture De Stijl paintings. Nonetheless, this staircase diverges from the initial constraints by including a non-primary color, orange.
Timeless Ideals
De Stijl artists sought to bring people the experience of neoplatonic ideal forms by keeping its shapes, lines and colors “pure.” Its abstract world was one the artists saw as more real in some ways than the natural world, a set of eternal truths.
Mid Century Modern architecture and design “remixed” some of those truths, presenting them in new forms. In doing so, they have demonstrated the timeless quality of De Stijl ideals. Even when MCM architects broke away from the rules of De Stijl to pave their own way, the “truths” of simple geometric forms, clean lines, and bold colors continued to shine through their works.
If you enjoyed this post, you may also like How to Recognize Bauhaus Architecture and DIY Cabinets Inspired by the Art of Piet Mondrian. And of course, don’t forget to follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and YouTube for more Atomic Ranch articles, house tours, and ideas!
