Mondrian's grave

I have assigned what3words *mondrian to the site at Cypress Hills Cemetery. There is a map here and findagrave states that it is at Plot: Block 51, grave 119.
The location looks about right from the map, but I might go and check it myself one day to locate it more precisely.

The image is from sorabji.com, with thanks.

Fencing mask

One of the strangest Mondrian artifacts I have found, on eBay from  a seller called leon_paul_seconds, a Leon Paul Mondrian Fencing Mask, priced at £190 from 27 bids and still 2 days to go. I'll pass, but it is rather impressive.

Teacup

I'm struggling to resist this outstanding artefact on eBay: the only thing stopping me is the rather full price of £63.19. It would sit prettily beside my best teapot, previously described.

More Marlow Moss

Marlow Moss

Nothing on Ms Moss since the 2012 Rome Mondrian exhibition and then two events come to light in one week.


First, an exhibition at St Ives all summer, the piece featured on the Tate web page being Balanced Forms in Gunmetal on Cornish Granite 1956–7.

Then a painting for sale at Sotheby's in July, White, Red and Black, 1949.

Another Mondrian Dog

Mondrian's dog Beppie

Mondrian's other dog

There's an earlier entry on the subject, created in July 2012.

That was based on a photograph spotted by Charles Darwent in the Mondriaanhuis the full title being Albert van den Briel and Mondriaan's dog. The name of the dog was confirmed as Beppie.


Another dog is shown in Henkels Mondrian from figuration to abstraction. The chapter Mondrian: a life in pictures, which also provides material for the Mondrian ID entry, shows a photograph captioned 'Mrs Crabb on horseback with Mondrian's dog, 1897'.

There is no text relating to the photograph other than the caption.

Mondrian and Hannah H. Crabb taught each other (painting and English respectively), he gave her a painting, designed a book plate for her and travelled to Cornwall with her in 1900, but I always assumed she was a Miss rather than a Mrs. If it is her mother in the snap, perhaps taken when he stayed with the family in Cornwall, then (a) there is a discrepancy over the dates and (b) I concluded that the dog is unlikely to be PM's. Charles pointed out that he could have taken the dog with him as quarantine regulations were not introduced until 1974.


Perhaps Mr. Henkels can help.

Mondrian ID documents

Finding a couple of new ones recently in Henkels prompted this list of known identity documents.
There are (with sources in brackets, where I've noted it):

• 25 May 1909 Theosophical Society membership certificate (Henkels)
• 1 Jun 1912 Louvre copyist's permit (Bax)
• Mondrian's calling card with map added by PM (26 Rue du Départ)
• 22 May 1940 GB identity document (from Tate Etc magazine)
• 22 Sep 1941 Declaration of Intention to become a US citizen (Henkels)
• 3 Oct (?) 1940 US Identification Card

Theosphical Society

Louvre pass

calling card

GB registration document

US Declaration of Intention

US identification card

At the bank

Barclays is, excitingly, offering personalised bank cards. They have understandable restrictions on the images which you can use. I have two cards and so successfully uploaded a family portrait. For the other, of course, I would like a Mondrian.

My first choice was my favourite Mondrian photograph, taken in a London garden, by John Cecil Stephenson in the late 1930s. This was rejected, presumably as it was regarded as copyright, but how they distinguished between this and a snap of what might have been my dad is a mystery.

My second attempt was a Mondrian painting which does not exist in anything resembling the format in which I tried to use it. This was B149 ,  Komposition mit Gelb, Zinnober, Schwarz, Blau und verschiedenen grauen und weissen Tönen, 1922: lost following its inclusion in the Nazis' decadent art exhibition, Entartete Kunst. It is only known in pre-war B&W photographs, but is part of the Reconstruction Project. Rejected by Barclays, perhaps because it, demonstrably, looks like a Mondrian.

My third attempt was to be part of a Mondrian jigsaw of Broadway Boogie-Woogie shown in Toys and Games, but this was not large enough (featured early on the site when space was far more expensive). I thought this might be accepted as it looks as much like a map of Wales as it does a PM painting.

Where next? Any of the highlights on the main Artifacts page would fit the bill, but most would face almost certain rejection: the Camel cigarette packet is a particular favourite but tobacco and alcohol are specifically excluded. Anything from Page 1 of Homages would be good, but, again, would probably be rejected out of hand.

I'll try my stained glass version of Theo van Doesburg's 1917 Cow. Not PM, but it's in the ballpark. Submitted.
[10th Dec] Rejected: no hint is ever given of the clause which has been infringed.

[10th Dec] I found another snap of the jigsaw in the Collections Memorial page. Though the colours are rather strained, I have given it a try. I think I might try the Moondrian plush next and then perhaps the Reitveld chair.

[11th Dec] In some ways I'm a little disappointed to say that the jigsaw was accepted. It's a piece of Mondrian rather than the De Stijl alternatives I had tried and was planning, but I might have preferred the Moondrian.