Early life and education:
Peggy Guggenheim was born in New York City to Benjamin Guggenheim, a wealthy mining magnate, and Florette Seligman Guggenheim. She was the niece of Solomon R. Guggenheim, who founded the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York. Guggenheim was educated at the Brearley School in New York and the Sorbonne in Paris.
Art collection:
Guggenheim began collecting art in the early 1930s, focusing primarily on modern art. She was particularly interested in the work of European avant-garde artists, including Pablo Picasso, Georges Braque, Joan Miró, and Wassily Kandinsky. Guggenheim also collected works by American artists, including Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, and Clyfford Still.
Peggy Guggenheim Collection:
In 1949, Guggenheim moved to Venice, Italy, and purchased the Palazzo Venier dei Leoni on the Grand Canal. She opened the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in the palace in 1951. The museum houses her collection of modern art, which includes over 200 works by some of the most important artists of the 20th century.
Influence:
Guggenheim was a major figure in the art world of the 20th century. Her influence as a collector and patron of modern art cannot be overstated. She not only helped to establish the careers of many important artists, but she also made modern art accessible to a wider audience. The Peggy Guggenheim Collection remains one of the most important museums of modern art in the world.
Personal life:
Guggenheim was married twice, first to Laurence Vail, with whom she had two daughters, and later to Max Ernst, a German artist. She was also known for her relationships with other artists, writers, and intellectuals, including Marcel Duchamp, Samuel Beckett, and Ezra Pound.
Legacy:
Guggenheim died in Venice in 1979 at the age of 81. She left her art collection to the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, which continues to operate as a museum in Venice today. Guggenheim's legacy as a patron of modern art is enduring, and her collection remains one of the most important resources for the study of 20th-century art.