Truncated view of a gabled house façade on a canal

Truncated view of a gabled house façade on a canal of 1901 applies a radical cropping strategy to a traditional Dutch townscape subject: the gabled house and its canal reflection are cut at the edges, eliminating the complete 'postcard' view in favour of a fragment that focuses attention on specific formal relationships. This cropping approach — which Mondrian used in his tjalk and other subjects — was contemporary with Japanese print influence on European art and signals his willingness to depart from conventional compositional completeness. The result is more formally inventive than the typical canal view.

The cropped format eliminates sky, complete building, and surrounding context, focusing exclusively on the gable's middle section and its reflection. This cropping creates a near-abstract arrangement of horizontals and diagonals. The reflection is rendered with soft, fluid marks that contrast with the firmer handling of the building above.