Composition with Blue and Yellow (Composition Bleu-Jaune)
Date
1935
Artist
Piet Mondrian, Dutch, b. Amersfoort, 1872–1944
Provenance
The Artist, Paris, 1935-c. 1937
Mrs. Nan Roberts, London (Ben Nicholson's sister-in-law), c. 1937-1956 (acquired from the artist for £25)
[V. Fletcher: see catalogue raisonne which lists Winifred Nicholson (wife of Ben) as the original owner.]
Harold Diamond, New York, 1956
G. David Thompson, Pittsburgh, 1956-1960
Galerie Beyeler, Basel, 1960-1961
Harold Diamond, New York, 1961-1962
Mr. and Mrs. Frederick R. Weisman, Los Angeles, 1962-1968
Harold Diamond, New York, to 24 May 1968
Joseph H. Hirshhorn, New York, 24 May 1968-1972
Gift of the Joseph H. Hirshhorn Foundation, 1972
Exhibition History
KUNSTHAUS, Zurich. "Thompson Pittsburgh: Aus einer Amerikanischen Privatsammlung," 15 October-27 November 1960, no. 149, colorpl. (as Komposition Blau-Gelb). Tour: KUNST MUSEUM, Dusseldorf, "Sammlung G. David Thompson," 14 December 1960-29 January 1961; HAAGS GEMEENTEMUSEUM, The Hague, "Collectie Thomson Uit Pittsburgh," 12 February-9 April, no. 143, colorpl.; SOLOMON R. GUGGENHEIM MUSEUM, New York, "One Hundred Paintings from the G. David Thompson Collection," May-August; GALLERIA CIVICA D'ARTE MODERNA, Turin, "Collezione G. David Thompson Pittsburgh," October-November.
PASADENA ART MUSEUM. "A View of this Century," 24 November-19 December 1964, no. 44, ill. (as Composition Blue-Yellow, lent by Mr. and Mrs. Frederick Weisman).
GALERIE BEYELER, Basel. "Mondrian," December 1964-January 1965 (lent by Private Collection).
SOLOMON R GUGGENHEIM MUSEUM, New York. "Piet Mondrian Centennial Exhibition," 7 October-12 December 1971, no. 116, colorpl. (did not tour).
HIRSHHORN MUSEUM AND SCULPTURE GARDEN, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC. "Inaugural Exhibition," 4 October 1974-15 September 1975, no. 503.
HIRSHHORN MUSEUM AND SCULPTURE GARDEN, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC. "Dreams and Nightmares: Utopian Visions in Modern Art," 8 December 1983-12 February 1984, no. 58, color ill. p. 93 and frontispiece.
CENTRE GEORGES POMPIDOU, Paris. "Mondrian in Paris," 1 December 2010-21 March 2011.
HIRSHHORN MUSEUM AND SCULPTURE GARDEN, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC. "Manifesto: Art x Agency," 15 June 2019-31 January 2020.
Published References
SEUPHOR, MICHEL. Piet Mondrian: Life and Work (New York: Harry N. Abrams, 1956; Cologne: Du Mont, 1957; Paris, 1970), no. 531, p. 429, cc. 379, ill. p. 390 (as Composition, 1932/36, no. collection or size given).
F.S. "Les expositions a l'etranger: Dusseldorf-Klee et la collection G. David Thompson," Aujourd'hui 5 (February 1961), p. 52.
NORDLAND, GERALD. "Collecting in Los Angeles," Artforum 2 (Summer 1964), p. 18, ill. (in situ in Weisman collection).
SCHMIDT, GEORGE (intro.). Piet Mondrian (Basel: Galerie Beyeler, n.d. [after January 1965]), colorplate 53 (cropped). Listed as Seuphor ill. 381, Private Collection.
MARMER, NANCY. "Los Angeles Letter," Art International 9 (February 1965), p. 32.
IVES-STILLMAN, INC. Announcemnet offering portfolio (New Haven, 1965-66), colorplate.
UNSIGNED. "Joseph H. Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden," Smithsonian Year 1968 (Washington, DC, 1969), p. 222, ill. p. 223.
ROBERTSON, NAN. "Hirshhorn Gives Museum 326 Works," New York Times (March 10, 1972).
LERNER, ABRAM, et al. The Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, (New York: Harry N. Abrams, 1974), p. 724, colorplate 503.
LERNER, ABRAM. An Introduction to the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden (New York: Harry N. Abrams, 1974), no. 68.
OTTOLENGHI, MARIA GRAZIA. L'Opera Completa di Mondrian (Milan: Rizzdi, 1974), no. 422, ill.
CHAMPA, KERMIT. "Piet Mondrian's 'Composition with Blue and Yellow'," Arts Magazine 53 (January 1979), pp. 137-39, color ill. p. 138.
CARMEAN, E.A. Mondrian: The Diamond Compositions (Washington, DC: National Gallery of Art, 1979), ill. 45, p. 54 (not in exhibition).
UNSIGNED. A Guide to Teaching Art in the Primary Grades K-3 (Fairfax, Virginia: Fairfax County Public Schools, 1983), pp. 278, 279, ill.
PARK, EDWARDS. Treasures from the Smithsonian (New York: Harry N. Abrams, 1983), ill.
BRITSCH, RALPH A. and TODD A. BRITSCH. The Arts in Western Culture (Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 1984), p. 387, ill.
CHAMPA, KERMIT SWILER. Mondrian Studies (Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press, 1985), pl. 20.
WOLF, ALINE. Mommy, It's a Renoir!: Child-Size Masterpieces (Altoona, Pennsylvania: Parent Child Press, 1986), ill.
BATES, SUSAN, and ANNE FICKLEN, eds. A Picture Tour of the Smithsonian (New York: American Legacy Press, 1987), ill. p. 39.
WHITFORD, FRANK. Understanding Abstract Art (London: Barrie & Jenkins, 1987), ill. pp. 13, 118, 129.
BERGER, ARTHUR ASA. Seeing Is Believing (Mountain View, California: Mayfield Publishing, 1989), ill. p. 5 (fig. 0.6).
VARNEDOE, KIRK. A Fine Disregard (New York: Harry N. Abrams, 1989), no. 160, p. 158.
INDURKHYA, BIPIN. Studies in Cognitive Systems, vol. 13: Metaphor and Cognition (Boston: Kluwer Academic Publishers, 1992), pl. 3, p. 43.
GIBSON, ERIC. "Museum pursues new look," Washington Times (20 December 1992).
APPEL, ALFRED, JR. The Art of Celebration (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., 1993), ill. p. 7.
BLOTKAMP, CAREL. Mondrian: The Art of Destruction (London: Reaktion Book, 1994), colorpl. 163, p. 217.
SAYRE, HENRY M. A World of Art, second edition (New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1997), fig. 277, p. 161.
AQUIN, STEPHANE, et al. Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden: The Collection (New York: DelMonico Books, 2022), pl. 68, p. 88.
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Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden Collection
School
Geometric Abstraction
On View
Hirshhorn Museum & Sculpture Garden (Washington, DC), 2nd Floor
Credit Line
Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, Gift of the Joseph H. Hirshhorn Foundation, 1972
Data Source
Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
Accession Number
72.205
Type
Painting
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
28 3/4 x 27 1/4 in. (73 x 69.6 cm)
