Solomon Guggenheim Museum

Guggenheim Museum is home to one of the world’s top collections of modern art. This strangely- shaped house is one of the most famous buildings in New York.
Solomon R. Guggenheim, a rich American businessman, was fond of art. When he retired from business he began collecting art seriously. His friend Hilla Rebay, a German baroness and artist, helped him to buy pictures for his collection.
Solomon’s favorite artist was Russian painter Wassily Kandinsky, who became the first ‘abstract’ artist in the world. Kandinsky believed colors and forms could express and inspire. Guggenheim was so fascinated by Kandinsky’s works that he bought more than 150 pictures by the Russian artist. He also collected pictures by other Modernist artists – Marc Chagall, Pablo Picasso, Amedeo Modigliani, Paul Klee.

In 1943, Rebay and Guggenheim asked an architect Frank Lloyd Wright to design a museum for Guggenheim’s collection – not just a museum, but a ‘temple of spirit’.
Wright made 700 sketches and spent 16 years to design the museum.
Frank Lloyd Wright is considered to be one of the greatest American architects. His career lasted almost 70 years (he worked almost to the day of his death). Wright designed about 1000 buildings, 400 of which were built. He also wrote many books and articles about his ideas.
Today, the Guggenheim Museum is considered to be one of the most famous American icons.
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum was used in the filming of such movies as The International, Men in Black, When in Rome, Mr. Popper’s Penguins.

There are Guggenheim Museums in several countries:
Branch office in Venice
Branch in Las Vegas (2001-2008)
Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain
Guggenheim Museum in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (under construction)
Guggenheim Museum in Guadalajara, Mexico (under construction)
Guggenheim Museum in Vilnius, Lithuania (in the project)
Guggenheim Museum in Helsinki, Finland (in the project)

Solomon Guggenheim Museum