Piet Mondrian (Dutch, 1872-1944). Broadway Boogie Woogie. 1942-43. Oil on canvas, 50 x 50" (127 x 127 cm). Given anonymously

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When Piet Mondrian, a Dutch artist, came to New York City for the first time in 1940, he fell in love with the dynamic rhythms and repetition he found in both boogie-woogie, a lively form of American jazz music, and the city itself.

1. Does this information change your understanding of this painting? Why or why not?
   
   
2. Does this painting says something about music and city life to you?

Mondrian deliberately limited his choices to primary colors (red, yellow, and blue) and only used white, black, and gray horizontal and vertical lines.

1. What do you think about Mondrian's decision to create limits for himself?
   
   
2. What do you think about his color choices?

Listen to a piece of music you like and write down some words or ideas that describe what you hear. Looking at these words, how might you organize them into a poem, a paragraph, a dance, or something visual (two- or three-dimensional)?

Marcel Breuer (American, born Hungary, 1902-1981). Wassily Chair. 1927-28. Chrome-plated tubular steel and canvas, 28 1/8x 30 1/4 x 27 3/4" (71.4 x 76.8 x 70.5 cm). Manufacturer: attributed to Standard Möbel, Germany. Gift of Herbert Bayer

1. Do you think paintings and chairs can share similarities? Why or why not?
   
   
2. Can you make any connections between these two works? Explain.