Exhibition On the Gein | Mondrian House

Exhibition "On the Gein" shows the beauty of the landscape around this small river as seen through the eyes of Piet Mondrian, Annemieke Harkema, Anna Khodorovich and Dannis van der Heiden.

Between Driemond and Abcoude flows the Gein, a small river about six kilometers long. It meanders through an archetypal Dutch landscape of water and meadows, farms and windmills. It is a special area, where Piet Mondrian (1872-1944) could often be found at the beginning of his artistic career. The artist regularly went out by bicycle to sketch and paint along the Gein. The landscape just outside Amsterdam (his hometown at the time) constantly inspired the still young painter to experiment with color, light and composition. Between 1905-1907, the landscape around the Gein was almost all Mondrian painted. He made more than a hundred works along the river during that period.

Even today, the Gein inspires painters and photographers, who each in their own way capture the nature and atmosphere of this beautiful part of the Netherlands. The exhibition Aan het Ge in in the Mondriaanhuis this summer shows the beauty of the river seen not only through the eyes of Piet Mondrian, but also of Annemieke Harkema, Anna Khodorovich and Dannis van het Heiden.

Annemieke Harkema

lives and works in Amersfoort, but grew up in Abcoude, where as a true outdoor child she often went to the river. In her studio Annemieke Harkema (1958) develops her site-specific sketches into expressive drawings in charcoal, pencil or watercolor.Harkema builds up her work layer by layer in a style that is loose and at the same time very precise. That nonchalant accuracy requires supreme concentration. It sometimes takes several days before the first lines are on paper.

Anna Khodorovich

The Gein can also be seen in the work of Anna Khodorovich (b. 1974). This artist was born in Russia and has lived and worked in the Netherlands since 2004. She prefers to paint outdoors, where the constantly changing nature fascinates her. From her studio in Amsterdam, the artist - like Mondrian over a hundred years ago - regularly cycles to the Gein to paint on the waterfront. To capture the moment, Khodorovich works quickly; the works she paints outdoors are finished in one painting session. With vibrant colors and a loose brushstroke, she captures a personal interpretation of the moving landscape. The river has her special attention in this regard; Khodorovich likes to be inspired by the flowing water that gets its color in the reflection of its surroundings.

Dannis van der Heiden

The polder landscape around the Gein also invites special landscape photography. A fine example is the work of Amersfoort-based photographer Dannis van der Heiden, who has made several trips to Abcoude in recent months to capture the right atmosphere and colors around the small river. A number of his photographs are now on life-size display in the Mondrian House, bringing the Dutch landscape into the museum. See also the photo at the top of this page.