All about Piet Mondrian

Piet Mondrian was a famous artist from the Netherlands who loved to paint in a very special way. He was born on March 7, 1872, in a small town called Amersfoort. When he was young, he liked to draw and paint things around him, like trees and rivers. But as he grew older, he started to make his paintings look different from what he saw in real life.

Mondrian wanted his art to be simple and use only the most important shapes and colors. He began to use straight lines, squares, and rectangles, and he loved to use the colors red, blue, yellow, black, and white. This special way of painting is called "abstract art" and Mondrian became one of the most famous abstract artists in the world.

He moved to big cities like Paris, London, and New York, where he met other artists and shared his ideas. His unique style of painting, called "De Stijl," inspired many people and even influenced fashion, design, and architecture.

Piet Mondrian showed us that art doesn't always have to look like real things. It can be about shapes, colors, and how they make us feel. He passed away on February 1, 1944, but his amazing art still makes people happy and inspires them to think differently about the world.

1. Where was Piet Mondrian born?
2. What kind of shapes and colors did Mondrian use in his paintings?
3. What is the name of the special way of painting that Mondrian is famous for?
4. Why do you think Mondrian's art makes people feel happy and inspired?
5. How do you think Mondrian's style of painting influenced other areas like fashion and design?

Symbols and Traditions

Hi, my name is Felix and I am 8 years old. I went on a trip to the Netherlands with my family and it was so cool! We learned about a famous artist named Piet Mondrian. He made really cool paintings with lots of straight lines and bright colors like red, blue, and yellow. One of my favorite places we visited was the Mondriaanhuis in Amersfoort. It’s the house where Piet Mondrian was born, and now it’s a museum all about his life and art. I saw so many of his paintings and even tried to make my own Mondrian-style art at a workshop there. It was so much fun and now I want to make more art like Piet Mondrian when I get home!

1. Who is the famous artist you learned about during your trip to the Netherlands?
2. Where is the Mondriaanhuis located?
3. What are some of the colors Piet Mondrian used in his paintings?
4. Why do you think you enjoyed the workshop at the Mondriaanhuis?
5. If you could create your own Mondrian-style painting, what colors and shapes would you use?

Profile of Piet Mondrian

A Timeline of Piet Mondrian to another Festival

After learning all about Piet Mondrian, your job is to create a timeline of their life. You should add all the important events in their life but you can be inventive and add some interesting things that people might like to read about. You can make it as simply as you like with pen and paper or you can be very inventive and create a 3D diorama or hanging banner. The sky's the limit - go for it!

Slideshow - Piet Mondrian
A full set of teaching plans for Piet Mondrianteaching.