ArtTalk 4.1.2008, 6.30 pm

Piet Mondrian (1) – The Extremist: Who´s afraid of red, yellow and blue?

Museum Ludwig

Piet Mondrian, an important and influential painter of the 20th century, began his career as an ordinary landscape painter. He experimented with many artistic styles but ultimately reduced natural forms to their basic essentials – that is vertical and horizontals lines or the grid structure. Mondrian, together with other artists of the „De Stijl“ movement, sought to express a new utopian ideal of spiritual harmony and order. He fled Europe in 1940, set up a studio in New York City but completed only four paintings before dying of pneumonia four years later.

Museum Ludwig is showing a fascinating overview of 70 paintings and drawings highlighting Mondrian´s development from early impressionistic works to pure abstraction. The show is on loan from the Gemeente Museum Den Haag in exchange for Museum Ludwig´s large Picasso collection.

All those who enjoy talking in English about things other than office issues come along to the next ArtTalk! This 2-hour workshop is an interactive forum for all levels of English learners and practitioners. The American trainer, Karla Schlaepfer, is an art historian who works in both Art and Language training fields. She initiated the ArtTalks series 2 years ago and continues to offer workshops, tours and training on a freelance basis in and around Cologne.