The Mondrian painting has been exhibited upside down since 1944

The «New York City 1» painting by the Dutch artist Piet Mondrian is exhibited in Düsseldorf. This is an abstract canvas in the author’s recognizable style: red, yellow and blue tape-like stripes on a white background.

Susanne Meyer-Büser, curator of an exhibition in Düsseldorf, saw a 1944 photograph of a painting on an easel. Susanna noticed that initially the artist had placed the piece differently from how it’s exhibited now. It turned out that all these years, while the painting changed countries and exhibition halls, it was shown upside down.

How did it happen? Well, there are no clear signs of up and down in an abstract painting. But there must be an artist’s signature on the back, right?

The fact is that Mondrian did not have time to sign this work — probably because he never did consider it finished. It was signed by the housekeeper when the artist had already died.

Unfortunately, at the exhibition in Düsseldorf you will not be able to see the legendary painting as the artist intended it. If turned over, the canvas may deteriorate. However, since this piece has become famous even while upside down, the difference, it seems, is not so great.