Piet Mondrian was born in Amersfoort in the Netherlands in 1872. His early paintings were structured in relatively traditional ways. However, after moving to Paris in 1909, he became strongly influenced by the work of the Cubists. His paintings became increasingly geometric, until he reached the level of complete abstraction for which he has become famous.
In these paintings Mondrian attempted to shut out all reference to the outside world, in a desire to achieve what he called "universal harmony". It is in his use of contrasting primary colours through both balanced vertical and horizontal forms, that he fulfils this aim. Mondrian's importance lies in his development of "pure" abstraction. He was a founding member of the De Stijl journal of 1917, which helped spread his artistic theories.