Peggy Guggenheim Collection
The Peggy Guggenheim Collection has had a profound impact on the art world. It serves as a testament to the vision and passion of Peggy Guggenheim, who played a key role in supporting and promoting modern art. The museum attracts art lovers, scholars and tourists from all over the world, contributing to Venice’s reputation as an important center for contemporary art.
How to Visit the Peggy Guggenheim Collection
Due to the high demand to visit this place, online booking is highly recommended.
Opening hours.
: daily from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm.
Closed every Tuesday and December 25.
Last admission at 17:00.
Official priority admission ticket: €18.50.
Guided tours: guided tours can be requested directly at the ticket office.
History and curiosity
The Peggy Guggenheim Collection is a renowned art museum named after its founder, Peggy Guggenheim. The museum houses a remarkable collection of modern and contemporary art.
The Peggy Guggenheim Collection was founded in 1951, when Peggy Guggenheim decided to permanently display her extensive art collection to the public. Guggenheim had been a passionate art collector, eager to support emerging artists and promote avant-garde movements. Its collection includes works of art from the early 20th century onward, including works by such prominent artists as Jackson Pollock, Wassily Kandinsky, and Pablo Picasso.
The museum boasts an extensive collection of modern and contemporary art. The galleries are organized thematically, showing various artistic movements and styles. Visitors can explore works from Cubism, Surrealism, Abstract Expressionism, and other major art movements. The collection also includes sculptures, installations and photography, offering a comprehensive view of twentieth-century art.
Of particular note in the collection is one of the most iconic masterpieces, Jackson Pollock’s painting “Alchemy.” This large-scale work represents Pollock’s distinctive drops and sketches, embodying the Abstract Expressionism movement. In addition, the museum houses significant works by surrealist artists such as Max Ernst, René Magritte and Salvador Dalí. These works offer a glimpse into the profound artistic experimentation of the time.
In addition to the permanent collection, the Peggy Guggenheim Collection regularly hosts temporary exhibitions. These exhibitions often focus on specific themes, artists, or periods, offering visitors the opportunity to explore different aspects of modern and contemporary art. These temporary exhibitions contribute to the museum’s lively and dynamic atmosphere.
The Peggy Guggenheim Collection is committed to educational outreach, offering a range of programs for both children and adults. These programs include guided tours, workshops, lectures, and special events designed to engage visitors of all ages with the artworks and their historical context. The museum also collaborates with schools and universities, providing educational resources for students and researchers.
This world-famous gallery is a testament to the power and beauty of modern and contemporary art. Through its diverse collection, engaging exhibitions, and educational programs, the museum continues to inspire and inform visitors about the importance of twentieth-century art movements. Whether you are an art enthusiast or a cultural traveler, a visit to the Peggy Guggenheim Collection will undoubtedly leave a lasting impression.
Venier Dei Leoni Palace
The gallery is located in the “Palazzo Venier Dei Leoni,” an 18th-century palace on the Grand Canal. The palace is distinguished by its unique architecture and beautiful gardens. Guggenheim lived in this building for many years, and it now serves as the museum’s permanent home. The building itself is an architectural gem that attracts visitors from all over the world.
The palace was designed by architect Lorenzo Boschetti (known thanks to the facade of the Church of San Barnaba) for the Venier family. The original plan was to construct a building that would synthesize the different lessons of Palladio and Longhena. However, due to the Venier family’s financial problems, the ambitious project remained unfinished: they managed to build only the ground floor.
According to tradition, there are two different hypotheses about the unfinishedness of the palace: one is that the neighboring Corner del Ca’ Granda, a powerful family that owned the palace of the same name, fearing the obscuration of the view they enjoyed from their home, made sure that the building was not completed; According to the other tradition, the heirs of the Venier family, having a testamentary obligation from their deceased father to build the new palace, but not possessing the wealth to complete it, resolved the issue by compromising to begin construction, as per the will, but not to complete it.
In 1948 Peggy Guggenheim purchased the building, which, in addition to becoming her Venetian home, also became the home of a small but valuable collection of contemporary art, the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, since 1949.
The origin of the name of the palace is uncertain, however, it is likely due to the presence of sculptural elements depicting lions along the base of the facade.
Supporting another hypothesis is a legend that the Veniers kept a lion in the garden.