Inside Out ─ Victory Boogie Woogie

An arresting piece in his signature primary color palette, The Victory Boogie Woogie is the final work by abstract painter Piet Mondrian (1872–1944). An important contributor to the De Stijl movement, Mondrian died before he could finish the painting, leaving swathes of unpainted canvas and many unanswered questions behind. Inside Out Victory Boogie Woogie is a pioneering study that carefully considers every aspect of the piece, from the tiniest detail in the physical painting to the minutiae of its conservation history. Through the methodical examination of this singular painting, the editors are able to offer a detailed and nuanced portrait of the artist himself and the rest of his oeuvre. From an exploration of Mondrian’s inspiration for the piece, to the sale of The Victory Boogie Woogie to the Dutch government in 1998 for nearly forty million dollars, which made it the most expensive painting ever bought in the Netherlands, this rich volume is a fully comprehensive history and analysis of what many consider one of the masterpieces of twentieth century abstract art.

Maarten van Bommel is a senior scientist at the Netherlands Cultural Heritage Agency. Hans Janssen is chief conservator of modern art at the Gemeentemuseum in The Hague. Ron Spronk is professor at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario and Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.