Page 33 - Studio International - November 1971

carried out his steps in such a personally Mondrian and came as close as anything could to appreciated the talents of Does as an editor of
stylized fashion that the results were frequently constituting a personal tragedy. To some extent his own writings. Does also was considerably
awkward and rarely very satisfactory to his this unfulfilled need was relieved by the more fluent in foreign languages than Piet, not
partners. Yet, this form of social intercourse attention of various female acquaintances and only speaking French and German with ease,
meant much to Mondrian, and, though friends, such as two Polish girls living in but having learned Italian by intensive study in
undertaken with his usual seriousness, afforded Antwerp who occasionally would visit him in Leiden in order better to understand the
him much pleasure, especially whenever he had Paris and share an evening of dancing with him. Futurist movement. Mondrian also accepted
found a sufficiently attractive, which is to say Yet, something always seemed to 'happen' Theo's advice on books to read and especially
young and pretty, partner. His attitude toward which prevented the creation of more lasting liked Il Pilota Cieco by Giovanni Papini for its
the dance as a form of theatre was equally bonds. Probably underneath it all such bonds seemingly 'abstract' structure. Ironically, on one
characterized by a love of the 'modern' and the would have been felt to constrict him as an occasion Piet felt compelled to warn Does about
popular. He particularly loved to see artist. the writings of a certain I. K. Bonset, not
performances of the American 'Ballet-nègre', Mondrian's many personal idiosyncracies realizing that this was a pseudonym for van
and I remember his enthusiasm for a troupe led notwithstanding, it would be wrong to consider Doesburg himself. In general, whereas the latter
by the then novel sensation in Paris, Josephine him fanatic in their observation. For example, was a voracious reader of scientific and
Baker, who was appearing at the Theatre du his so-called antipathy towards natural beauty was philosophic authors such as Henri Poincaré (e.g.
Champs-Elysées. He also enjoyed both the by no means an uncompromising dislike. True, La Valeur de la Science), Einstein, Bergson,
Swedish ballet directed by Rolf de Margie with he did sometimes choose a seat in a restaurant Nietzche, Hegel, etc., Mondrian remained
Jan Börlin as featured dancer and the Russian so as to avoid viewing the green foliage of the loyal, even in the 1920s, to the Theosophists,
ballet of Diaghilev, although he was disappointed trees along the boulevard outside. And within Mme Blavatsky and Dr Schoenmaekers. Each
at the Picasso decors used for the latter the artificial surroundings of his own studio, the artist attached great importance to the theoretical
productions. Above all, it was his own devotion placement of ashtrays, table settings, etc., could basis of his creative activities, and, with such a
to dancing which preoccupied him most. This not be altered for fear of disturbing the divergency in their intellectual interests, it seems
affected even his attitude towards friends and `equilibrium' of the total decor which he sought. remarkable that their styles remained so close
acquaintances, who would be forgiven all other Yet, this did not prevent him from taking for such a long time. Both before and after
faults if only they had wives or companions Sunday strolls with Does and myself in the Bois 1925, when Does created his own Elementarism
young, attractive and willing enough to de Meudon. On such occasions he could jest, and reintroduced the use of the diagonal, he
accompany him on the dance floor. with mock-ironic intent, about the dangers of remained unlimited in his admiration for
This brings us to the question of Mondrian's staining his clothing green from the reflections Mondrian as a painter. At every exhibition
relation to women. Although he was in his fifties of the grass. In fact, his appreciation of nature where they were both represented, he would try
when I knew him in Paris, the subject of women remained quite keen, even though in his art he to see that Mondrian's work was sold first,
was ever on his lips. He would interrupt any type had abandoned natural beauty as the direct knowing that his friend had to live on the basis of
of conversation in order to comment with boyish source of his painting. Moreover, he was his painting alone, but also believing that, if only
enthusiasm upon the physical attractiveness of appreciative of naturalism in the painting of Mondrian were accepted, recognition for himself
some admired example of the opposite sex. His others. One of his personal friends was the and other De Stijl artists would follow naturally.
taste was catholic in this respect, ranging from Dutch realist painter Eekman, who lived with In any case, neither differences in intellectual
the refined beauty of a number of female his wife in Bougival, and another was the outlook or even the disagreement over the use of
acquaintances to the more direct appeal of Swedish Cubist, Hellesen. He even admired the the diagonal line ended the personal friendship
pin-up posters. He was completely captivated work of Dali, albeit more for the painter's bon between Piet and Does. Of course, because the
by the charms of Mae West, who at the time was technique than for the style which he practiced. years 1926-28 were spent by van Doesburg
quite young, but nonetheless used artificial Otto van Rees, Archipenko, Survage and a largely in Strasbourg working on the design of
make-up in a way that Mondrian found Dutchman named Colin, who produced semi- the interior of the Café Aubette, this precluded
attractive. Indeed, his ideal wife would have abstract advertising posters for the train and any great personal contact between the two
been precisely this kind of youthful love goddess, subway stations of Paris, also numbered among men. Nonetheless, upon our return to Paris,
whose chief virtue of character would be the his circle of friends. Although most artists Mondrian once again became a visitor to our
patience to spend long hours in a corner of his within this circle favoured some form of household, and discussions upon the character
pristine studio knitting or watching him paint— progressive art, there was by no means any of abstract art continued to take place. Mondrian
a Mae West in crinoline, so to speak. Perhaps insistence upon conformity to a genuinely was deeply affected by the early death of Does
Mondrian himself realized that these two ideals abstract style. Mondrian was quite interested in and wrote a piece for the van Doesburg
were difficult to combine, as his often repeated accompanying Does and myself to the various commemorative issue of De Stijl in 1931.
disappointments in love graphically illustrated. Dada-soirees we attended, and they had Despite the economic necessity which forced
Like Brancusi, whose personality was otherwise addressed each other, respectively, as 'Dada me, after the death of my husband, to take a
so different and who was much less inhibited in Does' and 'Dada Piet' in correspondence which position at the Musée de la Dance in Passy,
his enjoyment of female company, Mondrian I have preserved. We all would visit exhibitions Mondrian and I remained good friends, and he
had adopted a pattern of life which did not allow by artists of quite varied styles and artistic would often meet me after work for dinner
any realistic prospect of ordinary domestic outlook, since there might be something of somewhere in Passy. Our paths also crossed
relationships. Each of these artists was so devoted value in even those styles most diametrically frequently within the Parisian artistic sphere of
to his profession that there was, in fact, little opposed to abstraction in art. which we both remained a part. It is my
room left over in their lives for the daily However, it was to van Doesburg that impression that Mondrian's way of life changed
companionship of any woman. It is as difficult to Mondrian turned most frequently during the little during the 1930s from the patterns which
imagine any ordinary woman feeling comfortably period circa 1923-25 in discussions about art. he had established for himself during the
at home either in the sparsely furnished atelier Although he never was very happy about the previous decade. Despite the indifference of the
of Mondrian or amidst the clutter of statuary importance within the De Stijl movement which Dutch and French publics to abstract painting,
with which Brancusi surrounded himself. This van Doesburg had attached to architecture, not to mention its suppression in both Germany
is not to say that Mondrian did not feel a need Mondrian continued to place great value upon and Russia, Mondrian never doubted the validity
for female companionship. Its absence in his the discussions of theory in which he and Does of his art and its theoretical presuppositions. q
life, I sensed often, was regretted deeply by regularly engaged. Mondrian particularly NELLY VAN DOESBURG
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