GuggenheimMuseum1929–30Atagesixty-six,thewealthyAmericanindustrialistSolomonR.GuggenheimbeginstoformalargecollectionofimportantmodernpaintingsbyartistssuchasVasilyKandinsky,PaulKlee,andMarcChagall.HeisguidedinthispursuitbyayoungGermanartistandtheorist,HillaRebay(bornBaronessHillaRebayvonEhrenwiesen).InJuly1930,RebaybringsGuggenheimtoVasilyKandinsky'sDessaustudio,andGuggenheimpurchasesseveraloftheartist’spaintingsandworksonpaper;hewilleventuallyacquiremorethan150worksbyKandinsky.1930sGuggenheim'sgrowingcollectionisinstalledinhisprivateapartmentatthePlazaHotelinNewYork.Smallexhibitionsofnewlyacquiredworksareheldthereintermittentlyforthepublic.RebayorganizesalandmarkloanexhibitionentitledSolomonR.GuggenheimCollectionofNon-ObjectivePaintings,whichtravelstoCharleston,SouthCarolina;Philadelphia;andBaltimore.1937TheSolomonR.GuggenheimFoundationisformedforthe"promotionandencouragementandeducationinartandtheenlightenmentofthepublic."CharteredbytheBoardofRegentsofNewYorkState,theFoundationisendowedtooperateoneormoremuseums.SolomonGuggenheimiselectedthefirstPresidentoftheFoundation,andRebayisappointeditsCurator.1938Atageforty,PeggyGuggenheim,Solomon'sniece,opensGuggenheimJeune,acommercialartgalleryinLondonrepresentingsuchavant-gardeartistsasJeanCocteau,Kandinsky,andYvesTanguy.InitiallyadvisedbyHerbertReadandMarcelDuchamp,shesoonbeginstoamassherownimportantcollectionofSurrealistandabstractart.用心爱心专心1939UndertheauspicesoftheSolomonR.GuggenheimFoundation,theMuseumofNon-ObjectivePaintingopensinrentedquartersat24EastFifty-fourthStreet.UnderRebay’sdirection,themuseum—decoratedwithpleatedgrayvelouronthewallsandthickgraycarpeting,andfeaturingrecordedclassicalmusicandincense—showcasesSolomon'scollectionofAmericanandEuropeanabstractartists.1942PeggyopensArtofThisCentury,auniquegallery-museumonFifty-seventhStreetinNewYork,designedbyFrederickKiesler.Theinauguralinstallationfeaturesherowncollectiondisplayedinunconventionalways.Overthenextfiveyears,PeggymountsdozensofimportantexhibitionsdevotedtoEuropeanandAmericanartistssuchasGiorgiodeChirico,RobertMotherwell,JacksonPollock,andMarkRothko.1943SolomonandRebaycommissionFrankLloydWrighttodesignapermanentstructuretohousetheMuseumofNon-ObjectivePainting.Overthenextfifteenyears,Wrightwillmakesome700sketches,andsixseparatesetsofworkingdrawings,forthebuilding.TheFoundationacquiresatractoflandbetweenEastEighty-eighthandEighty-ninthStreetsonFifthAvenue,butconstructionisdelayeduntil1956forvariousreasons,foremostamongthempostwarinflation.1949OneyearafterPeggyexhibitshernowfabledcollectionofCubist,Surrealist,andEuropeanabstractpaintingandsculptureattheVeniceBiennale,shepurchasesthePalazzoVenierdeiLeonionVenice'sGrandCanal,installshercollectionthere,andopensittothepublic.SheestablishesthePeggyGuggenheimFoundationtooperateandendowthemuseum.1952RebayresignsandJamesJohnsonSweeneyisnamedDirectorofthemuseum.ThenameoftheMuseumofNon-ObjectivePaintingischangedtotheSolomonR.GuggenheimMuseumtodesignateitasamemorialtoitsfounder,whodiedin1949,andtosignifyashifttowardabroaderviewofmodernandcontemporaryart.Under用心爱心专心Sweeney,theFoundationpurchasesseveralsculpturesbyConstantinBrancusiandotherimportantartistswhoseworkdoesnotfallwithinthecategoryofnon-objectiveart.1959ThemuseumopenstoanenthusiasticpubliconOctober21,justsixmonthsafterWright'sdeath.Fromthebegi...
