If you've ever felt intimidated walking into a major art museum, assuming the curators know everything and you know nothing, let me tell you about what happened at the National Gallery in London in 1965.
A 15-year-old schoolgirl was walking through the galleries when she stopped in front of a bright green Vincent van Gogh painting called Long Grass with Butterflies. It’s exactly what it sounds like, a chaotic, thick tangle of tall grass and white butterflies painted in 1890, right near the end of Van Gogh's life.
But the girl noticed something was wrong. She stared at it, tilted her head, and finally went to find a security guard to deliver some very awkward news: the National Gallery was hanging their masterpiece completely upside down.
Vincent van Gogh, "Long Grass with Butterflies" (1890). This is the correct orientation. Image: Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain.
At first, it sounds like an impossible mistake. But look at the painting yourself. Without a horizon line or an obvious sky, it's just a pure wall of texture. The green stalks slash in every direction. If you aren't paying close attention to the delicate way the butterflies are angled, you could easily lose your bearings.
It turned out the painting had recently been taken down to be photographed. When the gallery staff brought it back out to the floor, they simply rehung it the wrong way. It hung there, upside down, while thousands of people, including museum experts, critics, and art historians, walked right past it without noticing a thing.
It took a teenager trusting her own eyes to point it out. About 15 minutes after she reported it, the gallery quietly flipped the painting right-side up.
It’s a perfect reminder that you don't need a degree in art history to see what's right in front of you. Sometimes, you just have to look at the butterflies.
The chaotic greens of Van Gogh's work can anchor a modern room, as long as you remember which way is up. Featured image concept.
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