In Amersfoort, State Secretary for Culture and Media Gunay Uslu symbolically struck the first Mondrian coin. The commemorative coin is intended to honor artist Piet Mondrian, who was born in Amersfoort 150 years ago. The design appears simple: the body of work of one of the world’s most famous artists has been reduced to two simple lines.
TV segment (RTV Utrecht) and article by Ulrike Nagel.
“It may look simple, but it isn’t,” explains designer Marjolein Rothman. “At first, I wanted to put his studio on the coin, but that became too busy, and I felt it didn’t do justice to his work. So then I wanted to show only the essence of Mondrian, which led me to those two lines. Even that involved a lot of tweaking—they have to be in the right place, and everything has to be in balance. You have to take the king into account until it’s just right.”
The Piet Mondrian Five-Cent Coin is being minted on behalf of the Ministry of Finance. The obverse of the coin features a portrait of King Willem-Alexander. The reverse side features the interplay of lines characteristic of Mondrian’s work, with the words “King of the Netherlands” in one line and “Willem-Alexander” in the other.
For Paul Baltus, director of the Mondriaan House, the commemorative coin is the icing on the cake for the Mondriaan House. “I think this coin is truly a tribute to Piet Mondriaan. We’ve been celebrating his birthday in 1872 all year long, and a coin like this is something that truly endures. Many things come and go, but this coin will likely remain in collectors’ circles for eternity.”
Presentatie van het Mondriaan-vijfje
De presentatie van de speciale munt vond plaats in het Mondriaanhuis, het pand waar de kunstenaar in 1872 is geboren. Lange tijd was er niet meer te zien dan een klein bordje buiten, tot architect Leo Heijdenrijk en zijn vrouw Cis het initiatief namen om er een echt Mondriaanhuis van te maken dat opengesteld werd voor publiek. In het Mondriaanhuis is een aantal van Piet Mondriaans vroege werken te zien, zijn bekendere werk wordt momenteel uitgeleend aan Museum Flehite waar vanaf 8 oktober een tentoonstelling te zien is van de wereldberoemde kunstenaar. Dit jaar is het 150 jaar geleden dat Piet Mondriaan in Amersfoort werd geboren, daarom vinden in Amersfoort tal van culturele activiteiten plaats rondom dit Mondriaanjaar met de de titel “Het feest van de verbeelding”.
The State Secretary emphasized that we can be proud of the influence Piet Mondrian has had worldwide. “He has been such an inspiration to young artists. You see his forms and his work reflected everywhere—in fashion and design; you see Mondrian in all disciplines, including among visual artists. And not just in the Netherlands, but all over the world. So I think we have every reason to be proud of him. And to honor him. And that’s what we’re doing with this coin.”
The commemorative coin is available as a 5-euro coin—with a face value of 5 euros—but for collectors, it’s also available as a special edition in gold and silver.
