De Stijl 1917-1931: Visions of Utopia

The stylistic force which germinated in Holland after World War I changed the typesetting, design, art, and architecture of two decades. Here De Stijl is analysed and documented in the finest and most complete text yet produced in English on the subject. Characterized by a dual commitment to a purity of abstraction and to a conviction that art must be a catalyst for social change, De Stijl comprehended the work of such artists as Mondrian, van Doesburg, Oud, and Rietveld. A selection of essays by Dutch, American, and Canadian scholars accompanies abundant illustrations to make this a well-balanced and provocative survey of this pivotal period in modern art.