Guggenheim Museum (Peggy Guggenheim Collection), Venice

Peggy Guggenheim is a fascinating character in the world of art. The niece of Solomon Guggenheim, and the daughter of Benjamin (renowned for sitting in evening dress and drinking brandy with his valet whilst the Titanic went down), she inherited millions and became the archetypal American society heiress. The transformation from stereotype to bohemian happened at the age of 38, when she suddenly started a love affair with the world of art, becoming a patron to many modern artists and opening up galleries around the world. Married to Max Ernst, and in an openly sexual relationship with many of ... more

I visited this on a recent trip to Venice and found it to be a useful experience. The Peggy Guggenheim Collection sits on the Grand Canal in Venice and is home to a collection of Cubist, Abstract and Surrealist works. I think it was about five euros to get in (maybe ten, I don't remember), and this gives you access to the inside gallery and the sculpture garden. The building itself (Peggy Guggenheim's old home) is quite strange; very long and wide with only a basement and a ground floor. This, along with its location, made it a very different experience to other art galleries I have visited ... more