A Piet Mondrian painting has been hanging upside-down for many years, artwork historian says - CNN

Written via Zoe Sottile, CNN

one in every of Piet Mondrian's iconic Modernist paintings may also have been putting upside down for decade, in response to analysis from an artwork historian — but the piece of artwork is never going to be grew to become correct-side up any time quickly.

The portray, called "big apple metropolis I," aspects Mondrian's classic fundamental color palette and impressive geometric lines. The Dutch artist made a series of "manhattan city" artwork in 1941 and 1942 after relocating to the city from Europe.

"long island city I" has lengthy been shown with the thickest cluster of traces at the bottom of the body, based on an exhibition catalog from the Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen, the German gallery that got the portray in 1980. The museum is internet hosting an exhibition dedicated to Mondrian's work.

but a photo of the work in Mondrian's studio indicates the painting with the reverse orientation — suggesting this can be how the artist wanted it to be shown.

It could be unattainable to ever comprehend the proper orientation for certain, says the museum the catalog. The painter died in 1944.

still, "if we go along with the scan and rotate long island metropolis 1 by means of 180 degrees, we locate that the image nonetheless 'works,'" claims the museum within the catalog. "definitely, it features extraordinarily smartly: the composition positive aspects in depth and plasticity."

Flipping the painting makes it in shape more carefully with "big apple metropolis," an extra portray within the identical collection.

"The density of the strips along the correct facet lends the work a resemblance to its shut relative 'new york city,' through which the zone of most appropriate density is also observed at the good area," says the museum within the catalog. "The blue strips along the left, properly, and reduce edges are now positioned in the exact same areas."

The portray was made of strips of painted tape that the artist laid on the canvas, probably planning to replace them by way of painting at once on the canvas later, in accordance with the museum. And the upside-down orientation is in line with Mondrian putting the strips from the appropriate to the backside of the canvas.

"An initial visible inspection tested the suspicion that by way of turning the canvas upside down, the adhesive strips on the upper aspect are aligned with the edge of the picture, whereas those at the lessen aspect peter out, with items lacking right here and there," says the museum within the catalog. "Assuming that Mondrian started by way of attaching the strips at the exact, and, following the principle of gravity, unrolled them downward to attach them on the bottom of the canvas, then the portray has indeed been placing the other way up ever considering the fact that it turned into first exhibited in 1945."

it is also viable, in accordance with the museum, that "Mondrian repeatedly turned the photo round whereas he become working on it, wherein case there can be no right or incorrect orientation."

This open-ended fine additionally may additionally were a part of a enhanced message about new york city itself.

"This could be the truly revolutionary function of ny metropolis 1: the undeniable fact that it can be read in any path, like the road map of a large metropolis, in an perspective of open-mindedness, relocating each way without delay, like couples dancing the boogie-woogie," writes the museum.

in the interim, the painting will live placing within the route it at all times has, referred to museum curator Susanne Meyer-Büser at a press convention opening the exhibition on Thursday. Turning it will possibly risk destructive it — and the orientation confusion is now a different part of the historical past of the item.