- Places
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Oh, they try hard. They have plenty of spaces and galleries devoted to 20th century and contemporary art. It's just hard to find a collection of any significance.
(This is not really their fault. After ruling art world for some 600 years, Italy became distant second banana to France in the late 19th century, when the Impressionists broke with the by-then ossified artistic traditions, then to the rest of Europe and the U.S. in the 20th century.)
Well, the Peggy Guggenheim in Venice goes a long way toward making up for the deficiency.
In fact, this is one of the world's top modern art museums, installed in Peggy Guggenheim's former residence in Venice, the uncompleted (only the first floor was built) 18th-century Palazzo Venier dei Leoni, right on the Grand Canal.
There are works by her short-time hubby Max Ernst, her greatest discovery Jackson Pollock, as well as pieces by some of her faves: Picasso (his 1911 The Poet is notable), Miró, Mondrian, Brancusi, Duchamp, Kadinsky, Chagall, Dalí, and Giacometti.
One of Tuscan sculptor Marino Marini's patented man-on-horseback bronzes (a particularly racy version, worthy of a Viagra ad) cools its spurs in the small garden overlooking the Grand Canal.
Peggy Guggenheim Collection ★★
Calle San Cristoforo, San Gregorio 701, Dorsoduro.
Vaporetto: Accademia or Salute
tel. +39-041-240-5411
www.guggenheim-venice.it
€15
Book tickets in advance: Select Italy
Open Wed-Mon 10am–6pm
Book tickets in advance: You can buy your admission ahead of time through Select Italy.
Planning your day: If for you this is just a break from cathedral and Old Masters, give it at least 30 minutes; if you're into 20th century art, plan to spend around an hour an a half. Venice itineraries
There are free presentations of a single work of art in the collection at 11am and 5pm daily (in Italian or English, depending on guides and public available).
Similar presentations on the life of Peggy Guggenheim and how she made her collection are offered at noon and 4pm daily
Like most modern art museums, the Peggy Guggenheim has a particularly seductive gift shop crammed with fun, high-brow souvenirs.
There's also a lovely little terrace cafe overlooking the sculpture garden
Sights nearby
★★★ Accademia Gallery (museum)
★ La Salute (church)
Where to eat nearby
★★ Ai Cugnai [meal]
★ Enoteca Cantinone Già Schiavi [snack]
Hotels nearby
RRHotel Galleria [moderate]
RR Hotel Pensione Accademia [premier]
Hotel Palazzo Guardi [cheap]
Hotel Ca' Centopietre [cheap]
»
» More hotels in Dorsoduro from Booking.com
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This article was written by Reid Bramblett and was last updated in July 2013
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All information was accurate at the time.
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