Piet Mondrian, renowned for his grid-like paintings with primary colours, may have owed some of his success to Marlow Moss, a little-known British artist who died in obscurity. The Kunstmuseum in The Hague now displays Moss's works prominently, while a similar Mondrian piece is hidden behind a pillar, reflecting a shift in art historical recognition.
Moss, born Marjorie Jewel Moss in London in 1889, adopted the gender-neutral name Marlow and moved to Cornwall, where she settled in Lamorna Cove. Despite efforts to connect with artists Barbara Hepworth and Ben Nicholson, she was ignored. In Paris, she joined the Abstraction-Creation group, introduced by Piet Mondrian, who admired her experiments with neoplasticism and the use of double lines.
Moss's double line technique, which she used to create tension in compositions, intrigued Mondrian. When he asked about her approach, she explained that the single-line grid was 'a conclusion and restriction'. Mondrian, initially unable to grasp her meaning, later incorporated double lines into his own work, leading to some of his most celebrated pieces.
Seven decades after her death, Moss is experiencing a revival. In addition to the Kunstmuseum exhibition, her sculpture will be shown in Berlin, and her painting 'White, Black, Blue and Red' sold for £609,000 at Sotheby's. The renewed interest is partly attributed to a focus on inclusivity and diversity in art history, highlighting queer artists and women.
