Marlow Moss

Marlow Moss

These works are displayed alongside three paintings by Moss that, after years of international exhibitions, have finally been reunited in the museum. Like her contemporaries, Moss sought a perfect harmony between lines and planes, gradually distancing herself from the visible world. With this presentation, the museum highlights Moss’s significant role within abstract art and her influence on the development of modern visual language.

At the heart of the art world

The sketches, created after 1940, served as the basis for reliefs, sculptures, paintings, and drawings. They reveal mathematically constructed compositions, fluid watercolour studies, and precise pencil drawings, illustrating the investigative nature of her artistic practice. During the 1930s, Moss was deeply embedded in the modern art scene and maintained close connections with innovative artists. Jean Gorin, a good friend, shared her interest in mathematical structures. Piet Mondrian was also an important contact; his use of the double line is often linked to Moss, underscoring the mutual admiration between them.

Extraordinary life

Moss was born in 1889 in London as Marjorie Jewel Moss. After completing her art training, she moved to Cornwall in 1919 to focus on art and literature. In 1921, she changed her name to the gender-neutral Marlow. In the late 1920s she settled in Paris, where she met Mondrian and became part of the avant-garde. She also met the Dutch writer Netty Nijhoff, with whom she shared her life. In 1940, due to her Jewish background, Moss fled back to Cornwall, where she continued to live and work until her death in 1958. Thanks to her strong ties to the Netherlands, many of her works can still be found in Dutch museum collections today.