How I Discovered Two New Mondrians

A reconstruction

The discovered portraits. On the right: Nicolaas Bergman, by Piet Mondriaan in 1908. © Bergman familie archive, private collection. On the left: Elisabeth ‘Bets’ Bergman, by Piet Mondrian in 1907. © Waaning & Bergman family archives, private collection.

As a child, when I was at my grandparents’ house, I was always intrigued by the mysterious portrait above the sofa. I tried to capture her gaze but to no avail. Who was she? All I was told was that she was my great-great-grandmother Betsy of Italian descent, and that the world-famous Piet Mondrian painted her. I was absolutely not allowed to tell anyone about the latter. It…