Mondrian painting has been hanging upside down for 75 years

A painting by abstract Dutch artist Piet Mondrian has been hanging upside down in various museums since it was first put on display 75 years ago, an art historian has found, but warned it could disintegrate if it was hung the right side up now.

Indicators suggesting an incorrect hanging are multifold. The similarly named and same-sized oil painting, New York City, which is on display in Paris at the Centre Pompidou, has the thickening of lines at the top.

Meyer-Büser said it was likely that Mondrian worked by starting his intricate layering with a line right at the top of the frame and then worked his way down, which would also explain why some of the yellow lines stop a few millimetres short of the bottom edge.

In spite of all the evidence pointing to the work being currently displayed upside down, the work will be shown the way it has hung for 75 years in the new Mondrian. Evolution show that opens in Düsseldorf on Saturday.