Mondrian, a better world | Erik de Graaf

Piet Mondriaan

Almost everyone knows Piet Mondriaan (1872-1944) as the revolutionary painter of red, white, blue and yellow planes divided between tight black lines. Less well known is that the artist saw it as his task to strive for balance and harmony in his compositions, as a blueprint for a better world. The exhibition Mondrian, a Better World, on view at the Mondrian House starting Oct. 19, explores Mondrian's philosophical and idealistic side.

Graphic novel

The occasion for this exhibition is the publication of the graphic novel of the same name by Erik de Graaf. In the hefty publication, which will be published this fall, the graphic novelist depicts how Mondrian spent the last 11 years of his life moving from Paris, to London and finally to New York, fleeing the rising tide of Nazism in Europe. Against the backdrop of World War II, Mondrian continued to search until his death for a way to bring light to the increasing darkness in the world.

Erik de Graaf

Erik de Graaf (Vlaardingen, 1961) has been drawing since he could hold a pencil. However, it took another 40 years before he made his debut as a comic book author.