De Stijl

The Netherlands-based De Stijl movement, which lasted from 1917–31, embraced an abstract, pared-down aesthetic centered in basic visual elements such as geometric forms and primary colors. Partly reacting against the decorative excesses of Art Deco, De Stijl artists envisioned a universal visual language appropriate to the Modern era’s spiritualized world order. De Stijl artists applied their style to a host of media and envisioned an ideal fusion of form and function. To this end, De Stijl artists turned their attention not only to fine arts (painting and sculpture), but to design and architecture as well. De Stijl heavily influenced an architectural movement known as International Style popular in the 1920s and ’30s. (The Art Story)