Also known as Neoplasticism, De Stijl (pronounced de-stile) was a movement amongst Dutch artists encompassing a wide variety of professions. Architecture, music, furniture and, of course painting, were among the multitudes of expression that chose to adhere to this new philosophy. Created by Theo van Doesburg, and later joined by Piet Mondrian as a way of reconciling the utopian philosophy of spiritual harmony and order, with the expressiveness of modern art, De Stijl was the ultimate utilitarian style.
While van Doesburg and Mondrian were the most visible and popular artists of the De Stijl, it quickly became a network of people who agreed with this new art philosophy. The architect J.J.P. Oud, Hungarian painter Vilmos Huszar and the designer Gerrit Rietveld were all important members, contributing to the lasting influence of De Stijl. In fact, one of the most recognizable pieces from this period is not even a painting but furniture: Rietveld's "Red and Blue Chair" (1917). This piece consists of the typical Neoplasticism concepts of primary colors and rectangular features, creating a very striking, yet severe-looking design.
The major facet of any piece of Neoplasticist art is the simplification of all elements down to primary colors, black, white and gray and right angles. Asymmetry was paramount to all works in the vein of De Stijl, as there needed to be a conscious distancing of the piece from reality. Those in the movement were committed to a rational, logical style, one that was almost mathematical in nature. The cold lines and predictable color palettes reinforced their disdain for "primitive," organic art. This ideal translated handsomely into what we now know of present-day architecture and graphic design.
The effects of De Stijl were long lasting and noticeable. The immediate effect was on the German Bauhaus school that would operate until 1933 and whose own shadow would cast long over the creative arts of the 21st Century. In architecture, the International style borrows heavily from De Stijl, maintaining the strict right angles and rectangular shapes. You need only look at the "White City" in Tel Aviv, Israel to see what the Dutch Neoplasticists contributed to modern city construction.