De Stijl, an art and design movement founded by Piet Mondrian and Theo van Doesburg in response to World War I, emphasized total abstraction using basic components like vertical and horizontal lines and primary colors. The movement influenced architecture, typography, and everyday objects, creating a structured and disciplined aesthetic that moved beyond decorative trends of the past. Its principles continue to resonate in modern design, as seen in contemporary technology and typography.

1. Andreas Leonidou
Silvia Ortega
A 1921 painting by Piet Mondrian

2. D e S t i j l
The De Stijl (Dutch for “the style”), also known as
neoplasticism, was one of several art and design
movements that responded to the chaotic trauma of
World War I with a “return to order.”
De Stijl stands out because its aspirations were as
social as they were aesthetic.
The 2 Dutch: Piet Mondrian and Theo van Doesburg.
It rejected pre-war decorative trends (like Art Nouveau)
and pushed Cubism to new extremes: total abstraction
consisting of only the most basic design components,
vertical and horizontal lines, primary colors.
De Stijl is also the name of a journal that was
published by Van Doesburg (left) , and served to
propagate the group's theories.
The cover of the 8th De Stijl publication, 1922

3. D e S t I j l v s S u p r e m a t I s m
Simultaneous Counter, Theo Van Doesburg, 1929 Kazimir Severinovich Malevich, 1915
Short bursts of lines and
colours had already been out
there however when you
compare the two.
The “De Stijl” way of presentation was
calmer, more structured and
disciplined.
De Stijl was profoundly influenced by
Suprematism and its leader, Malevich, but
we believe that it has grown superior to it.
Unlike the
Suprematist
movement, De Stijl
had powerful
components like
architecture,
sculpture and
typography
which allowed the
style to become a
lot more
commercial.

4. T y p o g r a p h y
Theo Van Doesburg’s alphabet has become the most
influential of all that were produced through the De Stijl.
A sans-serif modular alphabet, constructed entirely of
evenly weighted strokes. Each character is based upon
a square.
The finished typeface used in 1919
Similarities between:
Early 1900's design movement typography
(up)
Squared structure
X an Y axis principle
bold, upright and proud
WWII propaganda typography that was shown in
Russia (down)
different components that come
together
to mobilise
to invoke confidence

5. Bauhaus
Many artists of both
movements either
studied or taught here.
Paul Klee’s sketches
influenced many artists
of both movements
Hilma af Klint
Her paintings were
amongst the first
abstract art.
Anthroposophy leader,
Rudolf Steiner, made
her believe that her
paintings could be
understood only by
future minds.
Anthroposophy
Complete freedom
based on individual
judgments and
decisions.
Malevich and
Mondrian, both pushed
towards pure
abstraction.
Theosophy
Went against The Bible
and the religious
norms of the time.
They went against any
other form of art and
purified their
abstraction composed
with right-angled
geometry.
D e S t I j l a n d
S u p r e m a t I s m C o n n e c t I o n

6. D e S t I j l n o w a d a y s
If we search on the internet how de stijl movement stills nowadays, we get an amount of stuff painted
in a neoplasticism way

7. But the influence that De Stijl has in our days goes much further than
this.
There are some examples of daily objects which
have a
relation to De Stijl principes.
PICTURE OF DE STIJL
MAGAZINE
TOUCHED UP
PICTURE:
EXAMPLE 01.
TOUCHED UP
PICTURE:
EXAMPLE 02.
TOUCHED
UP COVER
OF DE STIJL
COVER OF
DE STIJL
D e S t I j l n o w a d a y s

8. RUBIK CUBEBQ CODE
WINDOWS’ LOGO
The example of Windows’ logo still preserve the dichotomy between
horizontal and vertical lines and diagonal composition, which was a
relevant discussing issue in De Stijl participants.
The fact of simplifying things to pure abstraction of little squares is such a powerfull idea that even
the newest things of our days uses it as a main reference.
D e S t I j l n o w a d a y s

9. T e c h n o l o g I c a l s c r e e n s
The reduction to the
essential form and
colour culminates
with a tiny square
which forms every
single picture: the
pixel
In the first colour
screens, pixel where as
well in three basic
tones. In this case,
green substituted the
yellow of De Sinjl
Paradogitally, screens have got the
globalization that members of De
Stijl claimed in their magazine.
Bart van der Leck posters

10. T y p o g r a p h I e s
The abstraction principles of the
movement were also imposed on
typography, generating a new geometrical
experience of the letter.
“Elastic alphabet” of Theo
Van Doesburg distorted the
shapes of the letters in order
to make them fill out the
shape of a square of 5 x 5

11. Despite the lack of functionalism of their typographies, they have become one of
the most notorious influences in the graphical design and typographies of
nowadays.
T y p o g r a p h I e s

12. • http://www.gotquestions.org/theosophy.html
• http://designseminar4.blogspot.com.es/p/influence-and-impact.html
• https://prezi.com/4mswzmmy8nfx/cubism-futurism-supremativism-constructivism-de-stijl-1/
• http://www.artyfactory.com/art_appreciation/art-history-
slideshows/modern_art_slideshows/suprematism_constructivism_de-stijl_slideshow.html
• http://quizlet.com/21295555/suprematism-constructivism-and-de-stijl-810-flash-cards/
• http://www.waldorfanswers.org/Anthroposophy.htm
• http://99designs.com/designer-blog/2012/12/18/know-your-design-history-the-utopian-de-stijl-
movement/
• Paul Klee’s Pedagogic Sketchbook
• http://www.diseno.uma.es/i_diseno/i_diseno_9/moreno.htm
• https://www.behance.net/gallery/5509877/Typography-De-Stijl-presentation
• http://zaidadi.wordpress.com/2011/03/09/de-stijl-in-general/
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