Mondrian: The Transatlantic Paintings

Just before World War II, Piet Mondrian fled from Paris to London and later to New York, where he lived until his death in 1944. Upon his arrival in Manhattan, the artist began reworking seventeen of the paintings he brought with him, many of which had already been finished and exhibited. He changed lines and added blocks and bars of color to give them what he called “more boogie-woogie.” By inscribing these so-called transatlantic works with a double date, for example “38/42,” Mondrian emphasized the exceptional history of the series.