Peggy Guggenheim Collection

Palazzo Venier dei Leoni stands along Venice’s Grand Canal, but its appearance differs from the tall palaces surrounding it. Construction began during the eighteenth century for the Venier family, but only one level was completed. Its low profile and broad waterfront terrace eventually became part of the building’s distinctive character.

Peggy Guggenheim purchased the unfinished palace in 1949 and made it her home. Born in New York City in 1898, she became one of the twentieth century’s most influential collectors and supporters of modern art. Before settling in Venice, she operated galleries in London and New York and encouraged emerging artists, including Jackson Pollock.

Guggenheim first presented her collection in Venice at the 1948 Venice Biennale. After acquiring Palazzo Venier dei Leoni the following year, she filled its rooms with works representing Cubism, Surrealism, Futurism and Abstract Expressionism. Beginning in 1951, she regularly opened her home and collection to visitors.

Today, the Peggy Guggenheim Collection includes works by Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dalí, Joan Miró, Wassily Kandinsky, Max Ernst and Jackson Pollock. Its intimate galleries allow visitors to experience the artwork within the home where Guggenheim lived until her death in 1979.

We visited the museum during our time in Venice, and our two daughters are pictured together on the terrace overlooking the Grand Canal. Seated beside one of the palace’s stone lions, they were surrounded by the architecture, waterways and passing boats that make Venice so memorable. The visit offered us an opportunity to experience both an important modern art collection and the remarkable Venetian home in which Peggy Guggenheim chose to preserve and share it with the world.