Piet Mondrian's art (1872-1944) always was intimately related to his spiritual and philosophical studies. In 1908 he became interested in the Theosophical movement launched by Helena Petrovna Blavatsky in the late 19th century, and he joined the Dutch branch of the Theosophical Society in 1909. The work of Blavatsky and a parallel spiritual movement, Rudolf Steiner's Anthroposophy, significantly affected the further development of his aesthetic. Blavatsky believed that it was possible to attain a more profound knowledge of nature than that provided by empirical means, and much of Mondrian's work for the rest of his life was inspired by his search for that spiritual knowledge.
Piet Mondrian
The new website www.theartarchives.org * contains the first online archive on Piet Mondrian.
There are only a few extensive archives on Mondrian in the world. Both are situated in The Hague (NL): the Gemeentemuseum, owner of the largest collection of Mondrian paintings, and the Netherlands Institute for Art History (RKD). The last recently acquired the archives of Mondrian specialists Robert Welsh and Herbert Henkels. These locations need to be visited in person.
The database on TheArtArchives is complementary to these archives and is unique. It contains the comprehensive primary data and sources on Mondrian’s formative years until 1912, not available in any other archive. And you can now study these Mondrian documents on your computer.
Piet Mondrian’s Art
The Mondrian documentation is based on meticulous research in many archives and private collections. It includes (in part unpublished) biographical and genealogical notes, correspondence, pictures, and annotated articles on Mondrian, his colleagues and friends, and his ‘business network.’
The documents on TheArtArchives are tagged by name, so this is where research on the site starts.
TheArtArchives is a project of Bax Art Concepts & Services. The site is a project in progress. In the near future new sections will be added to include similar data on many other artists and their networks. If you are interested in news about updates, please visit News & Links on the website or send mail to
*A subscription fee is required.