Nummer Toegang: NL-HaRKD-0740
Archive of Piet Mondrian
RKD – Nederlands Instituut voor Kunstgeschiedenis (c) 2000
This finding aid is written in Dutch. 2 NL-HaRKD-0740 NL-HaRKD-0740 3
INHOUDSOPGAVE
BESCHRIJVING VAN HET ARCHIEF...... 5 Aanwijzingen voor de gebruiker...... 6 Openbaarheidsbeperkingen...... 6 Beperkingen aan het gebruik...... 6 Citeerinstructie...... 6 Andere Toegangen...... 6 Archiefvorming...... 7 Geschiedenis van de archiefvormer...... 7 Geschiedenis van het archiefbeheer...... 8 De verwerving van het archief...... 8
BESCHRIJVING VAN DE SERIES EN ARCHIEFBESTANDDELEN...... 9 0740.A Received letters of general character...... 9 0740.B Personal papers...... 11 0740.B.1 Papers regarding immigration to the U.S...... 11 0740.B.2 Financial papers...... 11 0740.B.3 Others...... 12 0740.C Notes, manuscripts and publications...... 13 0740.D Photographs and reproductions...... 15 0740.D.1 Photographs of family members...... 15 0740.D.2 Portrait- and studio photographs...... 15 0740.D.3 Others...... 17 0740.E Press documentation...... 18 0740.F Deposited papers: Harry Holtzman archive...... 19 0740.F.1 Correspondence...... 19 0740.F.2 Photographs...... 21
NL-HaRKD-0740 5
Beschrijving van het archief Beschrijving van het archief
Naam archiefblok: Archive of Piet Mondrian
Periode: ca. 1883, 1900, 1906, 1908-1909, 1929, 1935-1944, z.j.
Archiefbloknummer: 0740
Omvang: 0.4 meter
Archiefbewaarplaats: RKD – Nederlands Instituut voor Kunstgeschiedenis
Archiefvormers: Mondriaan, Piet Mondriaan, Piet 6 NL-HaRKD-0740
Aanwijzingen voor de gebruiker
Aanwijzingen voor de gebruiker Openbaarheidsbeperkingen
OPENBAARHEIDSBEPERKINGEN No access restrictions
Beperkingen aan het gebruik
BEPERKINGEN AAN HET GEBRUIK The archive is fully digitized, and can only be consulted using these scans
Openbare archiefstukken kunnen op de leeszaal van het RKD - Nederlands Instituut voor Kunstgeschiedenis worden aangevraagd.
Citeerinstructie
CITEERINSTRUCTIE Bij het citeren in annotatie en verantwoording dient het archief tenminste éénmaal volledig en zonder afkortingen te worden vermeld. Daarna kan worden volstaan met verkorte aanhaling.
VOLLEDIG: RKD – Nederlands Instituut voor Kunstgeschiedenis, Den Haag, Archive of Piet Mondrian, nummer toegang 0740, inventarisnummer ...
VERKORT: RKD – Nederlands Instituut voor Kunstgeschiedenis, Den Haag, Archive of Piet Mondrian (0740), inv.nr. ...
Andere Toegangen
ANDERE TOEGANGEN inventaris NL-HaRKD-0740 7
Archiefvorming
Archiefvorming Geschiedenis van de archiefvormer
GESCHIEDENIS VAN DE ARCHIEFVORMER Mondriaan, Piet
Mondriaan, Piet
The Dutch artist Pieter Cornelis (Piet) Mondrian (1872-1944) is seen as one of the most important pioneers of abstract art and his work is known all over the world.
Born in Amersfoort, Mondrian started his career in the Netherlands by following the Rijksakademie voor Beeldende Kunsten of Amsterdam (1892-1897). First working as a figurative artist, he developed his art from the style of the old- fashioned The Hague School to a more Symbolist and Luminist approach with influences from theosophy. In 1911 Mondrian moved to Paris and changing his name to ‘Mondrian’. His work became at first cubist and after that developed into non-figurative abstraction. During a forced stay in the Netherlands (1914- 1919) because of World War I, where he was living in the artist colony of Laren, Mondrian came into contact with Theo van Doesburg, Bart van der Leck and Vilmos Huszár. Together they founded the progressive magazine ‘De Stijl’ in which they published their ideas about truly modern art.
Back in Paris in 1919, Piet Mondrian painted his ‘compositions’: works of art consisting of only black horizontal and vertical lines and color planes in red, yellow and blue. His art was admired en not understood at the same time. In order to make a living, Mondrian had to resort to painting portraits and copies on commission and also produced a lot of commercialy interesting flower pieces. Still he continued his search for the pure form of art he called ‘Neo- plasticism’ and was supported in that by the collector Sal Slijper who bought many of his – mainly early - paintings. He also had friends that looked after him, such as longtime friend Albert van den Briel, the Belgian artist/publicist Michel Seuphor and the Dutch painter Charley Toorop, who organized a raffle for one of his paintings to support Mondrian.
In 1938 World War II drove Piet Mondrian away from Paris for the second time. With the help of his friends Ben and Winifred Nicholson he moved to London where he would spent the next two years. He left London because of the Blitz Krieg in September 1940 and moved to New York, where he arrived on October 3rd. His good friend Harry Holtzman (1912-1987) financed the passage by ship and arranged a studio for him. An artist himself, Holtzman greatly admired the work of Mondrian, whom he visited in Paris for the first time in 1934. Upon Mondrians arrival in New York, Holtzman introduced him in the New York art scene where he was immediately welcomed. There were many European artists that had fled World War II and ended up in New York. Several of them Mondrian already knew from his time in Paris, like Marcel Duchamp and Fernand Léger. 8 NL-HaRKD-0740
New York City inspired Piet Mondrian to take a new direction in his art. Boogiewoogie music and colored tape that came to his disposal, inspired him to break up the lines into small color planes, thus arriving at his final major artistic development. His last painting, entitled Victory Boogie Woogie, was left unfinished in his studio when Mondrian died on 1st February 1944. The artist had designated Harry Holtzman as his one and only heir.
Geschiedenis van het archiefbeheer
GESCHIEDENIS VAN HET ARCHIEFBEHEER Among the things Harry Holtzman inherited by Piet Mondrian, there was a cache of personal papers, containing letters, photographs, address-books, horoscope readings, an unpublished essay and other documents. Together with these personal documents from Mondrian, Holtzman also had a corpus of letters that the artist send him between 1935 and 1943.
De verwerving van het archief
DE VERWERVING VAN HET ARCHIEF In January 2012 the RKD bought the Archive of Piet Mondrian, including the deposited Harry Holtzman papers containing the letters by Mondrian, from the former owner, Miss Rhonda Roland Shearer, owner of the Art Science Research Laboratory (ASRL), New York City.
Letters, manuscripts, photographs and personal items of the artist. NL-HaRKD-0740 9
Beschrijving van de series en archiefbestanddelen Beschrijving van de series en archiefbestanddelen
0740.A Received letters of general character
0740.A RECEIVED LETTERS OF GENERAL CHARACTER 0740.001 Letter by G. Benningsen to Piet Mondrian 1941 1 folder The envelope contains jottings on art by Piet Mondrian. 0740.001.1 1
0740.002 Letter by Anna Bergman to Piet Mondrian 1943 1 piece Includes a letter from the American Red Cross, that sent the letter from Bergman to Mondrian on January 31st 1944.
0740.003 Picturepostcard with reproduction of nightclubscene by the artist Colin n.y. 1 piece
0740.004 Letter by Valentine Dudensing to Piet Mondrian 1943 1 piece Concerning the purchase of the painting ‘Broadway Boogie-Woogie’ to the Museum of Modern Art.
0740.005 Letter by Zoe Dusanne to Piet Mondrian 1944 1 piece Concerning the purchase of two flower paintings by Piet Mondrian.
0740.006 Letter by Jean Helion to Piet Mondrian 1944 1 piece Concerning the sickbed of Piet Mondrian in January 1944.
0740.vb1 Letters and envelopes by Harry Holtzman to Piet Mondrian 1939-1941 and n.y. 4 folders 0740.007 18 October 1939, 1 piece 0740.008 May 8th, 1940 05-08-1940, 1 piece 0740.009 N.y. n.y., 1 piece Handwritten 0740.010 Loose envelopes and fragment of an envelope 1940, 1941 and n.y., 3 pieces 0740.011 Letter by Edna Mandel to Piet Mondrian, 1944 1944 1 piece Concerning an invitation for dinner.
0740.012 Letter by Carel Mondriaan to Piet Mondrian, 1938 and 1940 1938 en 1940 2 pieces From 1940 only the envelope is kept. 10 NL-HaRKD-0740
0740.013 Letter by Willem Frederik Mondriaan to Piet Mondrian, n.y. n.y. [ca. 1941-1943] 1 piece
0740.014 Letter by Marlow Moss to Piet Mondrian, 1943 1943 1 piece
0740.015 Letter by the Netherlands Information Bureau to Piet Mondrian, 1943 1943 1 folder Concerns a list of exhibitions organized by the Netherlands Information Bureau.
0740.016 Letter by Ben Nicholson to Piet Mondrian, n.y. n.y. [1940-1944] 1 folder Concerns a fragment of a letter[?] with the address of Nicholson noted on the back. Also contains three photographs of Winifred Nicholson’s cottage in Cornwall.
0740.017 Letter by an unknown person [Anna Bergman?] to Piet Mondrian, n.y. n.y. 1 piece Contains dried flowers NL-HaRKD-0740 11
0740.B Personal papers
0740.B PERSONAL PAPERS 0740.B.1 Papers regarding immigration to the U.S.
0740.B.1 PAPERS REGARDING IMMIGRATION TO THE U.S. N.B. See also inv.no.: 68 0740.018 Received letters from John G. Erhardt [American Consul General in London], 1940 1940 2 pieces
0740.vb2 Drafts of sent letters from John G. Erhardt [American Consul General in London], 1940 1940 2 folders 0740.019 June 28th 1940, with annex 06-28-1940, 1 folder The annex contains numbered [5-11] testimonials from George L.K. Morris, Valentine Dudensing, Albert Eugene Gallatin, Laszlo Moholy-Nagy and Frederick J. Kiesler. 0740.020 Testimonial on behalf of Piet Mondrian by the notary R.H.M. Ody, July 6th 1940 07-06-1940, 1 folder 0740.021 Printed ‘notice to travelers’ and ‘warning to travelers going abroad’ from the UK Passport Office, including envelope, 1940 1940 1 folder
0740.022 Acquittance for full board at the Ormonde Hotel, 1940 1940 1 folder
0740.023 Receipt from Thomas Cook for travelers checks in the value of 100 GBP, n.y. n.y. [1940?] 1 folder
0740.024 Handwritten notes by Mondrian concerning questions about his trip to New York, n.y. n.y. 1 piece
0740.025 Handwritten notes concerning ‘what to bring to the United States’ in trunk and valise, n.y. n.y. [1940] 1 piece
0740.B.2 Financial papers
0740.B.2 FINANCIAL PAPERS
0740.vb3 Papers concerning money transfers from Harry Holtzman to Piet Mondrian through the National City Bank, London / New York, 1939- 1940 1939-1940 3 folders 0740.026 Notice for a transfer of 150 USD, September 7th 1939 09-07-1939, 1 folder 12 NL-HaRKD-0740
0740.027 Notice and receipt for a transfer of 250 USD, Augustus 3rd and August 5th 1940 08-03-1940 and 08-05-1940, 1 folder 0740.028 Printed explanatory leaflet regarding currency conversion regulations, 1940 1940, 1 folder
0740.vb4 Transfer and receipts, 1939-1944 and n.y. 1939-1944 and n.y. 3 folders 0740.029 Transfer of 0,66[?] GBP to Jean Fontain, 1939 1939, 1 folder 0740.030 Receipt of 10 USD from gas and electricity company Edison, New York, 1940 1940, 1 folder 0740.031 Receipt from Hasbrouk & Son, Inc., for nine pieces of homosote cut to sizes, 1941 1941, 1 folder 0740.032 Notes of the address of a bank by R.H.M. Ody, including envelope, 1940 1940 1 folder
0740.033 Handwritten notes by Mondrian regarding income tax, 1942 and 1944 1942 and 1944 2 pieces
0740.B.3 Others
0740.B.3 OTHERS
0740.vb5 Horoscope, n.y. n.y. 2 quires 0740.034 Concise version, with handwritten notes by Piet Mondrian n.y., 1 quire 0740.035 Enhanced version, with handwritten corrections by Piet Mondrian n.y., 1 quire 0740.036 Handwritten address list, n.y. [ca. 1940-1944] n.y. [ca. 1940-1944] 1 folder
0740.037 Collected calling cards and (fragments of) envelopes containing addresses, 1941-1943 and n.y. 1941-1943 and n.y. 1 folder
0740.038 Notebook containing handwritten notes on vitamins by Jean Hélion, n.y. n.y. 1 quire NL-HaRKD-0740 13
0740.C Notes, manuscripts and publications
0740.C NOTES, MANUSCRIPTS AND PUBLICATIONS 0740.039 Handwritten list of oil paintings and drawings, n.y. [ca. 1942] n.y. [ca. 1942] 1 folder
0740.040 Handwritten notes concerning art, some on old envelopes, n.y. n.y. 5 pieces
0740.041 Notebook containing handwritten notes about art and some addresses, n.y. n.y. 1 quire
0740.vb6 Manuscripts and photocopies of manuscript for the essay ‘The necessity for a new teaching in art, architecture and industry’, by Piet Mondrian, n.y. n.y. 3 folders 0740.042 First draft, Dutch n.y., 1 folder 0740.043 Second draft, English n.y., 1 folder 0740.044 Photocopies of both drafts mentioned above n.y., 1 folder These photocopies have not been digitized, because it matches exactly with the originals that have been digitized
0740.vb7 Copies of the essay ‘Le Neo-Plasticisme’, by Piet Mondrian, 1920 1920 7 quires 0740.045 Copy without notes 1920, 1 quire 0740.046 Hand numbered copy (2) with handwritten notes on pages 1-4, 6- 10 and 12 1920, 1 quire Meer informatie over dit object in
1920, 1 quire This copy was not digitized due to the poor state and the lack of notes NL-HaRKD-0740 15
0740.D Photographs and reproductions
0740.D PHOTOGRAPHS AND REPRODUCTIONS 0740.D.1 Photographs of family members
0740.D.1 PHOTOGRAPHS OF FAMILY MEMBERS 0740.052 Portrait photographs by the photographer H. Bulens jr. of Johanna Christina de Kok - Mondriaan, mother of the artist, and of Pieter Cornelis Mondriaan sr., father of the artist. N.y. [ca. 1883?] N.y. [ca. 1883?] 2 pieces 0740.052.1 Meer informatie over dit object in
0740.053 Portrait photographs of Johanna Christina de Kok - Mondriaan, mother of the artist, and of Pieter Cornelis Mondriaan sr., father of the artist. N.y. [ca. 1900?] N.y. [ca. 1900?] 2 pieces These photographs were cut from a larger photograph, possibly a large family portrait
0740.054 Portrait photograph of Carel Mondriaan, brother of the artist. 1936 1936 1 piece
0740.055 Portrait photograph of Louis Mondriaan[?], brother of the artist. N.y. n.y. 1 piece
0740.D.2 Portrait- and studio photographs
0740.D.2 PORTRAIT- AND STUDIO PHOTOGRAPHS 0740.056 Portrait of Piet Mondrian in his studio, Rembrandtplein 10, Amsterdam, 1906 1906 1 piece
0740.057 Portrait of Piet Mondrian in his studio, Sarphatipark 42, Amsterdam 1908 1 piece Cyanotype by Reinier Drektraan
0740.058 Portrait of Piet Mondrian with beard, 1908 1908 1 piece Signed on the verso
0740.059 Portrait of Piet Mondrian by the phrenologist Alfred Waldenburg, Amsterdam 1908-1909 1908-1909 1 piece
0740.060 Photographs of a portrait drawing of Piet Mondrian by Mies Elout- Drabbe, 1915 1915 2 pieces
0740.061 Postcard with photograph by Andre Kertész of Mondrian, Enrico 16 NL-HaRKD-0740
Prampolini and Michel Seuphor in the studio 26 Rue du Départ, Paris, 1926 1926 1 piece
0740.062 Portrait of Piet Mondrian, signed ‘Max’, 12 rue Bréa [Paris], ca. 1926 ca. 1926 1 piece
0740.063 Portrait of Piet Mondrian by Michel Seuphor, Paris 1929 1929 3 pieces One of the photographs is attached to an album page containing a photograph of the studio of Mondrian 26 Rue du Départ on the verso.
0740.064 Photograph of Piet Mondrian in his studio, 26 Rue du Départ, Paris, ca. 1929 ca. 1929 1 piece
0740.065 Photographs of Piet Mondrian in his studio 26 Rue du Départ, by Eugene Lux, 1934 1934 6 pieces The sculptor Gwendolyn Lux-Von Bremen is shown next to Mondrian on three of the photographs.
0740.066 Portrait photograph of Piet Mondrian in his studio, n.y. [ca. 1935?] n.y. [ca. 1935?] 3 pieces
0740.067 Portrait photographs of Piet Mondrian in Paris, presumably by Cas Oorthuys, n.y. [ca. 1937] n.y. [ca. 1937] 3 pieces
0740.068 Mug shots of Piet Mondrian, 1940 1940 5 pieces and 1 accompanying envelope These mug shots were made for Mondrians visa for the United States; one of them is signed.
0740.069 Portrait of Piet Mondrian by Harry Holtzman, in the garden of Holtzmans summer home in Great Barrington Massachusetts, 1941[?] 1941[?] 1 piece
0740.070 Portraits of Piet Mondrian by Fritz Glarner, 1943-1944 1943-1944 7 pieces
0740.071 Photograph of the working table of Piet Mondrian in New York, 1943-1944 1943-1944 3 pieces
0740.072 Photograph of the palette of Piet Mondrian in New York, 1943-1944 1943-1944 1 piece NL-HaRKD-0740 17
0740.D.3 Others
0740.D.3 OTHERS 0740.073 Portrait photograph of Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, founder of the Theosophical Society, ca. 1888 ca. 1888 1 pieces
0740.074 Portrait photograph of Ali Khan, friend of the artist, n.y. [before 1934] n.y. [before 1934] 1 piece This photograph was given to Mondrian by Azeem W. van Beek in 1934.
0740.075 Photograph of the window display of Scribner’s bookstore, with painting by Piet Mondrian, 1942 1942 1 piece Coppes, Wietse en Leo Janssen, "Mondriaan in New York in de etalage(s)". In: Eigenbouwer: tijdschrift voor de goede smaak, 2015, nr. 4. p.64-79 (zie https://rkd.nl/explore/library/200001348) the window display was on the occasion of the publication of the book ‘Art of This Century’ edited by Peggy Guggenheim. 18 NL-HaRKD-0740
0740.E Press documentation
0740.E PRESS DOCUMENTATION 0740.076 Newspaper photograph of an exhibition of the ‘Onafhankelijken’, with work by Piet Mondrian, Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, 1926 1926 1 piece
0740.077 Article concerning the military service of Willem Frederik Mondriaan in North Aliwal, The Frontier Times & Post, South Africa, August 4th 1939 08-04-1939 1 folder
0740.078 Fragment of an article concerning Jean Hélion, Time Magazine, November 23rd 1942, p. 60 11-23-1942 1 piece
0740.079 Article concerning the homage of Willem Frederik Mondriaan, The Friend, Bloemfontein, South Africa, June 8th 1943, with envelope and signature of W.F. Mondriaan 06-08-1943 1 folder
0740.080 Newspaper photograph of the head of a bear, n.y. n.y. 1 piece NL-HaRKD-0740 19
0740.F Deposited papers: Harry Holtzman archive
0740.F DEPOSITED PAPERS: HARRY HOLTZMAN ARCHIVE 0740.F.1 Correspondence
0740.F.1 CORRESPONDENCE
0740.vb8 Received letters, postcards and telegrams from Piet Mondrian 15th March 1935-8th September 1943 38 letters, 7 postcards, 6 cablegrams and 39 envelopes in 50 folders 0740.081 15 March 1935, 1 folder Postcard 0740.082 23 April 1937, 1 folder Letter with envelope 0740.083 10 October 1938, 1 folder Letter with envelope 0740.084 10 December 1938, 1 folder Letter with envelope 0740.085 13 January 1939, 1 folder Letter with envelope 0740.086 8 March 1939, 1 folder Letter with envelope 0740.087 10 March 1939, 1 folder Postcard 0740.088 13 April 1939, 1 folder Letter with envelope 0740.089 16 May 1939, 1 folder Letter with envelope 0740.090 10 August 1939, 1 folder Letter with envelope 0740.091 5 September 1939, 1 folder Cablegram 0740.092 25 September 1939, 1 folder Letter with envelope 0740.093 30 October 1939, 1 folder Letter with envelope 0740.094 4 January 1940, 1 folder Postcard 0740.095 13 February 1940, 1 folder Letter with envelope 0740.096 16 February 1940, 1 folder Letter with envelope 0740.097 6 May 1940, 1 folder Letter with envelope 0740.098 20 June 1940, 1 folder Letter with envelope 0740.099 5 July 1940, 1 folder Letter with envelope 0740.100 21 July 1940, 1 folder Letter with envelope 0740.101 23 July 1940, 1 folder Cablegram with envelope 0740.102 Letter with envelope 07-26-1940, 1 folder 20 NL-HaRKD-0740
Including copies by Mondrian of various dates 0740.103 Cablegram 08-02-1940, 1 folder 0740.104 Letter with envelope 08-08-1940, 1 folder 0740.105 Cablegram 08-22-1940, 1 folder 0740.106 Cablegram 09-04-1940, 1 folder 0740.107 Cablegram n.y., 1 folder 0740.108 Letter with envelope 10-19-1940, 1 folder 0740.109 Letter with envelope 11-04-1940, 1 folder 0740.110 Postcard 11-06-1940, 1 folder 0740.111 Letter with envelope 03-10-1941, 1 folder 0740.112 Letter with envelope, 18[?] March 1941 03-18-1941, 1 folder 0740.113 Letter with envelope n.y., 1 folder 0740.114 Letter with envelope 03-23-1941, 1 folder 0740.115 Letter with envelope 04-03-1941, 1 folder 0740.116 Letter with envelope 04-15-1941, 1 folder 0740.117 Letter with envelope 04-26-1941, 1 folder 0740.118 Letter with envelope 04-30-1941, 1 folder 0740.119 Letter with envelope 05-06-1941, 1 folder 0740.120 Letter with envelope 04-27-1942, 1 folder 0740.121 Letter with envelope 06-01-1942, 1 folder 0740.122 Letter with envelope 06-26-1942, 1 folder 0740.123 Letter with envelope 09-23-1942, 1 folder 0740.124 Letter with envelope 12-19-1942, 1 folder 0740.125 Postcard 03-08-1943, 1 folder 0740.126 Letter with envelope 03-25-1943, 1 folder NL-HaRKD-0740 21
0740.127 Letter with envelope 04-15-1943, 1 folder 0740.128 Letter with envelope 04-30-1943, 1 folder 0740.129 Postcard 05-12-1943, 1 folder 0740.130 Postcard 07-29-1943, 1 folder 0740.131 Letter with envelope 09-08-1943, 1 folder 0740.132 Typewritten copies by Harry Holtzman[?] of letters by Piet Mondrian to Harry Holtzman, 1935-1943 1935-1943 1 folder Contains some copies of letters that are part of the Harry Holtzman Papers at Beinecke Rare Books and Manuscript Library, Yale
0740.F.2 Photographs
0740.F.2 PHOTOGRAPHS ca. 1905 and n.y. [1911] These photographs were sent to Holtzman in 1958 by a nephew of Greta Heybroek
0740.vb9 Portrait photographs of Mondrians former fiancée (1911), Greta Heybroek, ca. 1905 and n.y. [1911] ca. 1905 and n.y. [1911] 2 pieces These photographs were sent to Holtzman in 1958 by a nephew of Greta Heybroek. 0740.133 Greta Heybroek with family members, n.y. [ca. 1905] ca. 1905, 1 piece 0740.134 Greta Heybroek with Piet Mondrian, n.y. [1911] n.y. [1911], 1 piece