Museums and art galleries have been known to be meticulous about their approach to the artworks they exhibit. But even they tend to make some mistakes, like hanging Mordrian’s famous artwork upside down.
While recently preparing the exhibit Mondrian: Evolution at Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen in Dusseldorf, Germany, co-curator Susanne Meyer-Büser made an interesting discovery. She noticed that one artwork in the collection, “New York City I,” hasn’t been displayed correctly.
According to Meyer-Büser, the piece, which shows the simplified skyline of New York City, has been hung upside down. And that has been the case for the past 75 years.
The art historian based her claim on the photo from Mondrian’s studio, which shows the artwork rotated the other way. She also points out that the dense lines on the bottom were intended to be up in order to represent the sky.
“The thickening of the grid should be at the top, like a dark sky,” Meyer-Büser explained to Guardian. “Once I pointed it out to the other curators, we realized it was very obvious. I am 100% certain the picture is the wrong way around.”
However, despite the discovery, the “New York City I” will remain upside down. This is because its lines were done using adhesive tape that became fragile over time. Rotating the artwork to its proper orientation would most likely cause the tape to peel off.
