de Stijl

A term describing the abstraction pioneered by the Dutch journal De Stijl (The Style), founded in 1917 by the painter and architect Theo van Doesburg. This international group of artists working in all mediums gave up naturalistic representation in favor of a stripped-down style mostly made up of straight lines, rectangular planes, and primary colors. In response to the devastation caused by World War I, de Stijl artists aimed to achieve a visual harmony in art that could provide a model for restoring order and balance to everyday life.