Peggy Guggenheim purchased the Palazzo Venier dei Leoni in 1949. It then served as her home and gradually transformed into a venue for her art collection. Peggy began opening her palazzo and her collection to the public from 1951, offering viewings during the spring, summer, and early autumn months.
The Peggy Guggenheim Collection formally came to the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation in 1976, when Peggy donated the Palazzo Venier dei Leoni and her collection to the Foundation. After Peggy’s death in 1979, the Foundation assumed full care and administration, and in 1980 the museum reopened under its management, with year-round public access.
Here’s a glimpse inside the Peggy Guggenheim Collection:
1. Peggy Guggenheim’s Original Collection
This is the heart of the museum, showcasing the works Peggy herself gathered between 1938 and 1946 across Europe and the U.S. Key movements represented include Cubism, Surrealism, Abstract Expressionism, and Futurism—with iconic pieces from artists such as Picasso, Braque, Duchamp, Ernst, Magritte, Miró, Dalí, Brâncuși, Kandinsky, Klee, Mondrian, Giacometti, Calder, and Pollock. Peggy Guggenheim’s personal collection comprises approximately 326 paintings and sculptures.
2. Gianni Mattioli Collection (on long-term loan)
This collection includes 26 Italian Futurist masterpieces, featuring works by Boccioni, Carrà, Russolo, Severini, Balla, Depero, Rosai, Sironi, and Soffici, along with examples of metaphysical painting by Carrà and Sironi, and early works by Morandi and Modigliani.
3. Hannelore B. and Rudolph B. Schulhof Collection
Integrated in 2012, this collection brings over 80 post-1945 works into the museum’s holdings, featuring prominent European and American artists such as Rothko, Twombly, Kelly, Dubuffet, Warhol, Johns, Diebenkorn, Martin, and more.
4. Nasher Sculpture Garden
An enchanting outdoor space adjacent to the Palazzo, this garden displays sculptures by Marini, Arp, Giacometti, Moore, Duchamp-Villon, Mirko, Takis, Gilardi, as well as contributions from the Nasher Collection.
Total works (all collections combined): approximately 432 pieces.
The Peggy Guggenheim Collection spans approximately 4,000 square meters.