A Venezia un capolavoro della Guggenheim torna visibile grazie a un importante restauro
A major painting by Piet Mondrian, *Composition No. 1 with Grey and Red 1938 / Composition with Red 1939*, held at the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice, has been restored to a state closer to the artist's original intentions. The work had been viewed for over fifty years through the filter of a 1968 restoration that altered its appearance. After a five-year study and conservation project, the painting is now on public view until October 19, 2026, as part of the exhibition *Peggy Guggenheim in London: Birth of a Collector*. The restoration involved cleaning, removing old materials, and reconstructing the original sub-frame in collaboration with the Opificio delle Pietre Dure in Florence, revealing the delicate balance of matte and glossy surfaces and the active role of black lines in Mondrian's spatial composition.
This restoration matters because it corrects a long-standing misinterpretation of one of Mondrian's late masterpieces, offering scholars and the public a more accurate understanding of his neoplastic vision. The project also involved studying over twenty other paintings from Mondrian's London and New York periods, deepening knowledge of his technical practices and his concept of the painting as continuous with the wall and surrounding space. The work underscores the importance of revisiting past conservation decisions and highlights the ongoing dialogue between art history, science, and museum practice.