A Visit to the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice, Italy
In mid-February, I visited Venice, Italy with my family and took the opportunity to visit Peggy Guggenheim’s world class modern art collection. This incredible collection set against the idyllic backdrop of the Grand Canal did not disappoint. I caught up with my old friends Pollock, Picasso, Still (check out my previous post on this fascinating artist) and Mitchell and met some new friends: Sam Francis and Piero Dorazio.
Peggy was a bold pioneer who built one of the great collections of modern art, 326 paintings and sculptures. Should you find yourself in Venice, I suggest you pop in for a visit.
About Peggy Guggenheim
Born: August 26, 1898, New York, NY
Died: December 23, 1979, Camposampiero, Italy
Spouse: Max Ernst (m. 1941–1946), Laurence Vail (m. 1922–1930)
Children: Pegeen Vail Guggenheim, Michael Cedric and Sindbad Vail
Marguerite “Peggy” Guggenheim was an American art collector, bohemian and socialite. Born to the wealthy New York City Guggenheim family, she was the daughter of Benjamin Guggenheim, and the niece of Solomon R. Guggenheim, who established the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation.
Some interesting facts about Peggy:
- Peggy’s father died on the Titanic – At the age of 14, Peggy lost her father. Mr Guggenheim, who was in Paris with his lover, decided to return to America.The ship on which he was supposed to travel had broken down, so he opted to cross the Atlantic on the Titanic.
- Peggy was the black sheep of the family – she became a rebel, shocking her family by shaving off her eyebrows and said that she was perceived as the enfant terrible.
- The Louvre judged her collection worthless – during WWII, Peggy asked the Louvre to protect her collection, the museum declined, declaring that her collection was not worth saving. When her collection was transferred in 1976 to the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, it was valued at $40 million.
- She loved dogs very much – Born during the Chinese zodiac’s Year of the Dog, Peggy had many dogs who were her constant companions. She is buried in the garden of her Palazzo, next to 14 of her beloved lhasa apsos.
- She hung with a very cool crowd – including Scott Fitzgerald – and was introduced to Alfred Steiglitz, the photographic pioneer. She married artist Max Ernst.
- Peggy’s support of Jackson Pollock was essential to his success. In 1943, Peggy Guggenheim first recognized Pollock’s talent, and offered him a contract with her New York The Art of This Century Gallery.
Settling in Venice
Following WWll – and her 1946 divorce from Max Ernst – she closed her The Art of This Century Gallery in 1947, and returned to Europe, deciding to live in Venice, Italy. In 1948, she was invited to exhibit her collection in the Venice Biennial and in 1949 established herself in her palace – the Palazzo Venier dei Leoni on the Grand Canal.
The Grounds
Collection Highlights (my five favorites)
1. Hans Hoffman’s Spring on Cape Cod
I loved traveling to Venice to discover a hometown treasure – . I love Hoffman and this beauty delivered. Hoffman had a school in the 30s and 40s in Provincetown, Mass. Glee’s Ryan Murphy and husband recently purchased and restored this property (read more.)
2. Clyfford Still, Jamais
Another Clyfford Still discovery! After knowing zero about this enormous talent until my visit to Colorado, and the fact there are very few out there, I was amazed to find another one in the Guggenheim Collection. When Still was in New York in 1945, Rothko introduced him to Peggy Guggenheim, who gave him a solo exhibition at her gallery-museum Art of This Century in early 1946.
3. Sam Francis, Untitled
Let us start with the fact that THIS is a WATERCOLOR. It blows my mind to see someone paint with watercolor in such a bold way – and it is BIG. I respect and love watercolor and am struggling with my own exploration of this medium (it is teaching me patience – but honestly I am not good at it…if you know of other bold modern watercolorists I should check out – share with me in a COMMENT) This was my first time meeting a Sam Francis and I wanted to learn more. Samuel Lewis Francis was born on June 25, 1923, in San Mateo, California. He began painting in 1944 after being diagnosed with spinal tuberculosis, resulting from a U.S. Army Air Corps accident. (Link to more info on him at the end of this post.)
4. Jackson Pollock, Alchemy
Alchemy is one of Jackson Pollock’s earliest poured paintings, executed in the revolutionary technique that constituted his most significant contribution to twentieth-century art. After long deliberation before the empty canvas, he used his entire body in a picture-making process that can be described as drawing in paint. I love exploring the layers of Pollock’s paintings – inch by inch. I find them to be mesmerizing. I have tried on a number of occasions to do my own “Pollock-styled” works and failed – so for anyone who says that they are “easy” to do – please give it a whirl. God speed!
5. Piero Dorazio, Unitas
My boys and I disagreed about this painting. They thought it was simplistic “I could do that.” As a lover of rainbows, I thought it was pure joy. This was another new artist to me and I learned that Piero Dorazio was born in Rome on June 29, 1927. He studied architecture at the University of Rome from 1945 to 1951. In 1953, he traveled to the U.S., where he met Motherwell, Rothko, Kiesler, Kline and Clement Greenberg, and gave his first one-man exhibitions at the Wittenborn One-Wall Gallery and the Rose Fried Gallery in New York. (Link to more info on him at the end of this post.)
The Loss of Pageen
Peggy’s life was filled with loss. Pegeen Vail Guggenheim was Peggy’s second child with her first husband Laurence Vail. She was born in Switzerland, and spent a lot of time away from her mother, especially after Peggy and Laurence had split. She studied in England and France, but in 1941 she went back with her mother and her second husband Max Ernst to the United States.
Pageen was an artist who exhibited across Europe and the US, and was friends with the majority of the modern artists of her time. Although her works seem cheerful and carefree, one can sense in them a second lining of melancholy and sadness. Pegeen, who never had a happy family and battled depression, tried to make it up in her paintings, where everyone seems happy and loved. Pageen died tragically from an overdose in 1967. Her mother never accepted it could have been a suicide.
Within the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, sits an entire room dedicated to her daughter Pageen’s work. Pageens artistic style reminded me of the Matisse’s Fauvist period and of the work of André Derain. Colorful and primitive in its rendering.
Pastel on paper, 51.7 x 74.7 cm,
Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, Peggy Guggenheim Collection
Her sculpture had a similar Matisse feel.
When I dove into some further Pageen research, I found the meanest reviews of her work that seemed incredibly personal. Although, her style is not what I am drawn to, I found the placement and tribute from her mother very moving.
Growth of the Collection: The value of an Engaged Advisory Board
“Art is almost like a religion. It is what I believe in. It is what gives my life dimension beyond the material world we live in.”
– Hannelore B. Schulhof
In 1980, Hannelore Schulhof became a charter member of the Advisory Board of the Peggy Guggenheim Collection. In 2004, Hannelore pledged eighty-three pieces of her own extensive modern art collection to the Peggy Guggenheim Collection. This promise was fulfilled at the time of her death in 2012. Fourteen works were donated to the Israel Museum in Jerusalem.
The Hannelore and Rudolph Schulhof Collection includes pieces by artists including Ellsworth Kelly, Cy Twombly, Jasper Johns, and Mark Rothko.
Deeper Dive
More about Peggy Guggenheim:
- https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-story-pollock-guggenheim-masterpiece-created-one-night
- Controversy: https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2017/01/the-legal-battle-over-peggy-guggenheim-art-collection
- Documentary: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3790720/
Other Links:
- Meet artist Sam Francis: http://samfrancis.com
- Meet Peggy’s daughter Pageen: https://www.dailyartmagazine.com/pegeen-vail-guggenheims-prodigal-daughter/
- Meet Piero Dorazio: http://www.artnet.com/artists/piero-dorazio/
I grabbed a quick selfie as I stood on Peggy’s gorgeous Grand Canal facing terrace where I fantasized about being Peggy and waking up to this view and enjoying many cups of espresso with my pups ❤
restless art syndrome 