Mondrian His life, his art, and the quest of the absolute

Art historian Weber (Anni & Josef Albers) presents a scrupulously detailed biography of pioneering Dutch abstract painter Piet Mondrian (1872--1944). Raised by austere, religious parents, Mondrian developed an interest in art thanks to an uncle who was a painter. He began dabbling in cubism in 1912, laying the groundwork for a turn toward pure abstraction that evolved into his trademark blocks of bold primary color with black lines in the late 1910s and early 1920s. That style eventually came to be known as neoplasticism, Mondrian's theory of art that ventured beyond the "guise" of everyday objects into their purer, spiritual essences (Weber posits that Mondrian was so emotionally affected by depicting "the realm of nature and human feeling" that he had to "find a way to express the wonder of existence in a... form that did not threaten him"). Careful due is given to Mondrian's artistic innovations; the circumstances that made his artistic career possible (including his vast network of patrons, confidantes and supporters); and his unsavory characteristics, including his antisemitism and tendency to break off friendships over small matters. Rigorously researched and impressively nuanced, this will serve as the definitive biography of one of modern art's most important figures. (Oct.)