A Piet Mondrian Painting Was Displayed Upside Down for 75 Years
Experts have advised to keep it that way, though, to avoid any damage.
“New York City I,” a 1941 artwork by abstract Dutch painter Piet Mondrian, has reportedly been displayed upside down at various galleries for the past 75 years.
While the mistake was pointed out by an art historian, the piece continues to be hung the wrong way up in order to avoid any damage. First put on display at NYC’s MoMA in 1945, “New York City I” has been hung at the art collection of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia in Düsseldorf since 1980.
According to BBC, art curator Susanne Meyer-Büser noticed that the painting was displayed upside down earlier this year while researching for a new show on the artist. However, she advised that the painting could be damaged if it was hung right side up. “The thickening of the grid should be at the top, like a dark sky,” the curator told The Guardian. “Once I pointed it out to the other curators, we realized it was very obvious. It is very likely the picture is the wrong way around.”
“New York City I” is an adhesive-tape version of “New York City” a painting also by Mondrian. The latter is currently on display at Paris’ Centre Pompidou the right side up, with the thickening of lines at the top. In addition, an image of Mondrian’s studio days after his death shows the same piece sitting on an easel with the right side up.
See a side-by-side comparison of the piece above.
