Mondrian: On the Humanity of Abstract Painting

This is actually two essays written at different times and compiled into book form. The first, written by Schapiro in 1960, gives the book its title, and is a basic defense of abstraction in general, having little to do specifically with Mondrian or his work. The second, much longer essay "Mondrian: Order and Randomness in Abstract Painting," was written in 1978, and concentrates on a few specific works by Mondrian. This is again written as a justification, but focused on the importance of Mondrian. Schapiro draws useful comparisons between Mondrian's work and other paintings by important modern masters, such as Degas and Picasso.These essays are not biographical, but should be regarded as criticism, although Schapiro does briefly discuss various phases of Mondrian's development, and the overall tone is wholly postive. Small color and b & w reproductions of the paintings of Mondrian and other modern painters are included.