Oops!

It would seem a work of the famous Dutch painter Piet Mondrian has been displayed the wrong way up for over 75 years! A founder of the De Stijl movement, Mondrian is renowned for his abstract art made from primary colours and straight intersecting lines. 

It seems one particular piece, 'New York City 1' that was created in 1941 might have been hanging the wrong way up, all this time in New York's MoMA. Hanging there since 1945, it seems the thick lines have always been at the bottom. However German art historian and curator Susanne Meyer-Büser has suggested this is indeed a mistake. 

She believes the thickening of the lines represented the dark sky, as opposed to the ground. The art historian was gathering research for an exhibition marking 150 since Mondrian's birth and she uncovered a photograph showing the artist in his studio with the painting the other way up on his easel!

Even though it seems the famous artwork has been displayed contrary to how the artist designed it all these years, it will not be corrected. Apparently, flipping the painting would actually cause damage as the tape is very fragile as it is. So 'New York 1' will remain a head turner, in the 'Mondrian. Evolution' exhibition in Düsseldorf, Germany! 

First spotted at My Modern Met.