De Stijl

Rietveld and Mondriaan

The Utrecht & Amersfoort region can rightfully call itself the birthplace of De Stijl, as it is the birthplace of the four most important artists associated with the movement: Theo van Doesburg (Utrecht, 1883), Bart van der Leck (Utrecht, 1876), Gerrit Rietveld (Utrecht, 1888) and Piet Mondriaan (Amersfoort, 1872). Founder Theo van Doesburg was a native of Utrecht, and together with his colleagues from Utrecht and Amersfoort brought about a radical change in art. Traditional art forms were replaced by straight lines, geometric shapes and a minimal use of colour (primary colours in combination with black, white and grey). The Utrecht & Amersfoort region has been closely linked to De Stijl ever since, and works of art as well as its influences can still be seen in both cities