Piet Mondrian lived in Amsterdam from 1892 to 1911. There, he matured from an inconspicuous art student from the provinces, filled with expectations of his own talent, into a self-assured, respected artist who longed for a bigger, better place – a true metropolis.

Over two decades in Amsterdam, Mondrian lived all over town, from Kalverstraat to the Albert Cuypstraat, Stadhouderskade to Ringdijk. Over the years, he called 10 different studios and houses home.

In his first years in Amsterdam, Mondrian studied at the Rijksakademie, and he did various jobs to support himself. He gave drawing lessons, copied paintings at the Rijkmuseum and Stedelijk Museum, and took portrait commissions. He later described this as a difficult period, but eventually he succeeded in earning a steady living. He led an active social life, joined the artists’ societies St Lucas and Arti et Amicitae, and forged lifelong friendships.

In Amsterdam and the peaceful surrounding countryside, Mondrian found subjects that spoke to him, from factory wharves to tranquil polder landscapes with water, farms and windmills. These would feature as recurring motifs in his work as he evolved from a naturalistic style and took his first steps towards abstraction. Sojourns in Domburg, Twente and Brabant during this period also contributed significantly to his development. By 1911, the Netherlands had become too small for Mondrian. He packed his bags and left for Paris.