Piet Mondrian (1872–1944) was a Dutch painter who became known internationally as the founder of the De Stijl artistic movement. Prior to touting neoplasticism in his writings on art theory, Mondrian encountered cubism in Paris, his adopted home, which had a significant effect on his artistic work. His firm conviction of abstract painting continued even after he emigrated to the United States in 1940, leading him to join the American Abstract Artists in New York. Almost until his death, Mondrian continued to publish essays on art theory in which he dealt intensively with neoplasticism and abstraction in painting.
