Description
Composition No. II (1929) is a square painting by Piet Mondrian from 1929: a large yellow plane fills the upper left, the rest of the canvas is made of white planes divided by thick black lines, a small deep-blue rectangle sits on the right edge, and one black line runs all the way to the bottom edge. The original, oil on canvas measuring 52 x 52 cm, belongs to the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam. Our painter paints it by hand in oil on canvas in 8 sizes from 35 x 35 to 196 x 188 cm or made to measure, and before it ships we send you a photograph of the finished painting.
| Title: | Composition No. II (1929) |
| Other titles: | Komposition Nr. II (1929) · Composizione n. II (1929) |
| Painter: | Piet Mondrian (1872–1944) |
| Year painted: | 1929 |
| Original size: | 52 cm x 52 cm (height x width) |
| Original technique: | Oil on canvas |
| Painting style: | Neoplasticism (De Stijl), abstract painting |
| Located at: | Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, Rotterdam (acc. no. 1542 (MK)) |
| Our reproduction: | Hand-painted oil on canvas, 8 sizes or made to measure |
Composition No. II (1929) – Piet Mondrian
What does Composition No. II (1929) show?
The eye goes to the yellow first. The large yellow plane takes up the upper left of the square and is by far the biggest area of colour on the canvas. Around it lie white fields, kept apart from one another by thick black lines.
On the right edge, almost tucked away, sits a small deep-blue rectangle. It is the tiny counterweight to the yellow plane on the opposite side, and it is what holds the painting in balance. One of the black lines does not stop inside the grid but runs straight down to the bottom edge of the canvas.
Every line is horizontal or vertical; there are no diagonals. The colours are flat, with no shading: yellow, blue, white and black. At the lower right the painter marked the canvas with the monogram PM and the year ’29.
What does this composition mean?
Mondrian called his style Neoplasticism. The rules are strict: only horizontal and vertical lines, only primary colours plus white, and black as the framework of the grid. With such spare means he looked for a balance that needs no object from the real world.
In this painting the balance is built from opposites. The large yellow plane is heavy and warm, the small blue rectangle light and cool, yet the eye never overlooks it. The white fields between them give the tension room to settle.
So the painting tells no story. Its meaning lies in proportion: how much room each colour gets, where a line stops and where it carries on to the edge.
Why is this painting so well loved?
A square with a yellow field, white planes and bold black lines is exactly what most people picture when they hear the name Mondrian: pure colour, straight lines and plenty of white space. It is the kind of composition people have in mind when they talk about famous Mondrian paintings.
The painting is small, just 52 x 52 cm, but very concentrated. On so small a surface every line counts, so it feels ordered and calm without ever feeling empty.
Do not confuse it with Composition II in Red, Blue and Yellow, painted a year later, in 1930. That is a different work with a different distribution of colour, which is why the title of our painting always carries the year 1929.
Where is the original?
The original is in the collection of the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam, under inventory number 1542 (MK). It is oil on canvas and exactly square: 52 cm high and 52 cm wide.
At the lower right you can read the monogram PM and the year ’29, which make the work easy to date.
The work is now in a Dutch collection, in the painter’s home country.
Composition No. II (1929) or another Mondrian?
Composition No. II is a canvas painting for modern rooms: a minimalist flat, a Scandinavian interior, an office or a hallway with white walls.
If you want more colour, there is Composition A from 1920, with its dense grid of red, blue, yellow and grey rectangles. If blue is your colour, look at Composition with Large Blue Plane from 1921, where blue fills the upper right. Just as square is Composition (1921), with a large orange-red field at the upper right.
Every Mondrian reproduction we paint to order, from the early landscapes to the strict grids, is gathered on the Piet Mondrian page.
How does our painter paint your Composition No. II?
With a Mondrian grid, millimetres decide. Our painter first measures the proportions of the original and transfers them to the canvas: where each black line runs, how wide it is and how much of the square the yellow field takes up. Only once the proportions are right does he start to paint.
He masks the edges of the fields so they stay sharp and straight, then lays the paint on in thin, even coats. The yellow needs several coats to become full and uniform, with no thin patches; the black lines need a clean edge against the white.
The result is an oil painting reproduction with a smooth yet living surface, where the light shows that the colour really was put on with a brush. It has a depth a print cannot offer, because in a print the colour is only a thin film of ink.
Which size for which wall?
In short: 35 x 35 or 45 x 45 cm for a shelf or a narrow wall, 60 x 57 and 70 x 70 cm above a chest of drawers or a desk, 90 x 88 and 110 x 115 cm above a sofa or a bed, 150 x 144 and 196 x 188 cm for a large empty wall.
You can choose from 8 sizes (width x height): 35 x 35, 45 x 45, 60 x 57, 70 x 70, 90 x 88, 110 x 115, 150 x 144 and 196 x 188 cm. The original measures 52 x 52 cm; 45 x 45 cm is 7 cm smaller each way, and 70 x 70 cm is 18 cm larger. The 60 x 57 cm size is 8 cm wider and 5 cm taller.
The square sizes 35 x 35, 45 x 45 and 70 x 70 cm keep the exact square shape of the original. In the sizes that are not quite square we adjust the proportions of the grid slightly, so that the yellow field and the blue rectangle stay in balance. As a painting for the living room above a sofa, 90 x 88 cm works well; for a large open wall, choose 150 x 144 cm.
Could I have another size or a frame?
Of course. If you would like a perfectly square painting in a size that is not on the list, say 100 x 100 cm, we paint it to measure. Send us the width and height you want, and we will reply with a price and a lead time.
The painting can travel rolled, stretched on a stretcher bar, or framed. Stretching and framing are done by our workshop in Slovenia, which prepares every painting we make. You choose the frame in our 3D app, which is only there for choosing frames; seeing the painting on your own wall is a separate service.
A Mondrian grid suits a thin white or black frame that does not compete with the black lines.
When will my painting be ready?
Work on your composition begins the day your order comes in, and it is ready to ship within 15 to 45 working days. Before it leaves, we send you a photograph of the finished painting; if you would like anything changed, we take care of it.
Within Slovenia and to all other EU countries it travels without customs. Our returns policy applies.
Composition No. II makes a good gift for anyone who loves modern art, architecture or design. A wall art voucher lets the recipient pick the size of this yellow-and-white square for their own wall.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the original painting kept?
In the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam, inventory number 1542 (MK).
What can I see in the painting?
A large yellow field at upper left, white planes between thick black lines and a small deep-blue rectangle on the right edge.
Is it a print?
No, it is a hand-painted copy in oil on canvas, made for you to order.
How big is the original?
It measures 52 x 52 cm. The nearest square sizes are 45 x 45 and 70 x 70 cm.
Can you paint a square in another size?
Yes, any size can be ordered made to measure; just tell us the width and height.
How quickly will it arrive?
The painting is ready in 15 to 45 working days, and you get a photograph of it before it ships.
Does it suit an office?
Very well. Clear lines and restrained colours look orderly and do not distract from work.
Why does the title include a year?
Because Mondrian used the title Composition II more than once, including for a work of 1930; the year 1929 sets this painting apart.
- Subject: a large yellow field at upper left, white planes, thick black lines and a small deep-blue rectangle on the right edge.
- Original: 1929, oil on canvas, 52 x 52 cm, Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, Rotterdam.
- Ours: painted by hand in oil on canvas, in one of 8 sizes between 35 x 35 and 196 x 188 cm, or in your own size.
- Worth knowing: the monogram PM and the year ’29 sit at lower right; this is not the 1930 Composition II.
