History of painting group's theories. Next to van Doesburg, the group's principal members were the painters Piet Mondrian, Vilmos Huszár, and Bart van der Leck, and the architects Gerrit Rietveld, Robert van 't Hoff, and J. J. P. Oud. The artistic philosophy that formed a basis for the group's work is known as "neoplasticism" — the new plastic art (or "Nieuwe Beelding" in Dutch). Proponents of De Stijl sought to express a new utopian ideal of spiritual harmony and order. They advocated pure abstraction and universality by a reduction to the essentials of form and colour; they simplified visual compositions to the vertical
Piet van der Sanden camp near Hannover in Germany. Shortly after the war ended he joined the British intelligence service. Between 1945 and 1947 he worked as a translator for British occupying forces in Germany. While there Van der Sanden met his future wife. Between 1947 and 1960 he worked as a journalist first for the "De Nieuwe Zuidhollander" and later for "Het Binnenhof". Starting in 1960 he worked as a parliamentary journalist for "Unitas- en Persuniecombinatie". His work in this position lasted until 1966. Van der Sanden became politically involved in 1966 when he became parliamentary advisor and secretary to the Catholic People's