Located in Venice, in the Dorsoduro sestiere on the Grand Canal, the Peggy Guggenheim Collection is one of the most important modern art museums in Venice. This museum obviously houses Peggy Guggenheim’s personal collection of masterpieces from the XX century in different styles, going from Cubism and Surrealism to Abstract Expressionism.
Let’s find out something more about Peggy Guggenheim Museum in Venice!
The life and legacy of Peggy Guggenheim: a remarkable art collector
Marguerite Guggenheim, commonly known as Peggy Guggenheim, was an art collector born in a wealthy family in New York. Daughter of Benjamin Guggenheim (who was one of the many victims of the Titanic shipwreck in 1912), she began collecting art in 1938 in Europe and America. In January of 1938, Peggy Guggenheim opened her first modern art gallery in London, called “Guggenheim Jeune”, and continued to purchase art, mainly in the abstract and Surrealist style all throughout World War II. In 1949 she settled in Venice where she lived for the rest of her life whilst continuing to exhibit art.
Nowadays the Peggy Guggenheim Collection Museum is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Venice.
Palazzo Venier dei Leoni: home to the Peggy Guggenheim collection
Peggy Guggenheim Collection is housed in Palazzo Venier dei Leoni, bought by Peggy herself in 1949. This building looks quite modern but it’s actually an XVIII-century palace designed by Lorenzo Boschetti but unfinished.
Compared to other buildings facing the Grand Canal, Palazzo Venier dei Leoni is particularly low in elevation and used to be Peggy Guggenheim’s home, where she lived for over thirty years.
The art collection was only opened to the public in 1951 along with its garden, called the Nasher Sculpture Garden, from April to October. The exhibition was a huge success and continued to remain open during the Summers up until Peggy Guggenheim passed away in 1976.
She chose to donate the palace to Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, a foundation established by Solomon R. Guggenheim, Peggy’s uncle. Because of this, Peter Lawson-Johnston managed to reopen the collection in 1980.
Exploring the artistic treasures: highlights of the Peggy Guggenheim Collection
As mentioned before, Peggy Guggenheim collected artworks between 1938 and 1946 and, because of this, her collection is filled with modern art, attracting over 400,000 visitors every year. Pieces from her collection vary in style but the most prominent ones are definitely Cubism, Surrealism and abstract expressionism. Let’s explore some of the works of art that you can find in the Peggy Guggenheim Collection:
- BIRTH OF LIQUID DESIRES by Salvador Dalì;
- EMPIRE OF LIGHT by René Magritte;
- UPWARD by Vasily Kandinsky;
- ON THE BEACH by Pablo Picasso;
- THE MOON WOMAN by Jackson Pollock;
- SEA=DANCER by Gino Severini;
- THE STUDIO by Pablo Picasso;
Conclusion
Getting lost in the works of art displayed at the Peggy Guggenheim Collection is an experience that needs to be done at least once in a lifetime. If you want to fully immerse yourself in this experience, make sure to book Venice a tour with us!
