From van Gogh to Picasso, From Kandinsky to Pollock. Masterpieces of Modern Art

396 Pages·25.424 MB·English

by  Krens Thomas (Ed.)

Solomon R. Guggenheim From van Gogh From Kandinsky Masterpieces
Museum, New York
Thannhauser Collection to Picasso to Pollock of Modern Art
Bompiani
r/
(%>+9'
' '

This exhibition has been
organized by
the Solomon R. Guggenheim
Museum, New York
Johnson& Higgins, New YorkCity
andTheChubbGroupofInsurance
Companies, Warren, NewJersey
providedadditionalfinancialsupport
fortheexhibition.
LufthansaGermanAirlines
istheofficialcarrier
for theexhibition in Italy.
D 1990TheSolomon R. Guggenheim
ulation. New York
uppo Editoriale Fabbri,
ozogno, Etas, S.p.A.
'lano
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
New York
Thannhauser Collection
From van Gogh From Kandinsky Masterpieces
to Picasso to Pollock of Modern Art
Edited by
Thomas Krens
with
Germano Celant
Lisa Dennison
Bomp
lani
PAIAMO;BASSI Comitato Amici
di Palazzo Grassi
President President
Feliciano Benvenuti SusannaAgnelli
GeneralManager Committee
Fmilio Melli MarellaAgnelli
UmbertoAgnelli
Directorof Mirella Barracco
CulturalProgrammes Vittore Branca
Paolo Viti Cristiana Brandolini D'Adda
Francesco Cingano
Attilio Codognato
Giancarlo Ferro
GianluigiGabetti
KnudW.Jensen
MichelLaclotte
Giancarlo Ligabue
Pietro Marzotto
Thomas Messer
Philippede Montebello
Sabatino Moscati
GiovanniNuvolettiPerdomini
Richard E. Oldenburg
Giuseppe Panzadi Biumo
Alfonso Emilio Perez Sanchez
Claude Pompidou
Maurice Rheims
Cesare Romiti
Norman Rosenthal
Guido Rossi
FrancescoValcanover
MarioValeri Manera
BrunoVisentini
Bruno Zevi
Secretary
FurioColombo
PalazzoGrassiS.pA.
San Samuele 3231,Venezia
"
Palazzo Grassi reopens with an outstanding exhibition that will bring masterpieces
ofthe Guggenheim Collection in New York to Venice. It should be made clear
immediately, however, that this is not just a case of temporarily transferring
a permanent collection to a special venue. The New York museum possesses
a great many mo—re pieces than will be displayed here, and a careful selection
has been made an arduous task that is also thefruit ofexacting criteria.
In this case, Palazzo Grassi has opted to emphasize the Guggenheim's heritage
ofmodem art by drawing on three different sources: the Thannhauser Collection
(devoted mainly to works from the late nineteenth and early twentieth century),
the Museum's primary collection and a selection ofsome of the most important works
collected by Peggy Guggenheim.
This is not, therefore, a mere transposition ofan existing exhibition. Nor have
we simply sought to make the American collection more accessible.
Rather than offer a homage to the visitor, the selection carried out by Thomas Krens,
Germano Celant, and Lisa Dennison for Palazzo Grassi aims to stimulate deeper
knowledge and understanding of modern art.
Modem art is not so easily deciphered. We are still too close in time to identify the
fundamental lines and their main works, despite thefact that, more than ever before,
criticsfollowed and even invented the movement or movements ofthis particular
artistic expression.
Consequently, this criticism and its outcome are putforwardfor the scrutiny
of the public.
Asfor the art itself, the exhibition traces its transition from synthetic vision to
an analytical vision ofthe world, and illustrates the gap between the two.
The world in which we are immersed is the world ofanalysis, ofdetail, offragments,
in which those who are acquainted with "all the rest" will surely find "all the rest.
The exhibition is therefore not a mere casual representation of trends or single artists.
It is a coherent, consistent chapter. It is also necessarily an exhibition composed
ofallusions.
But life, like history, is always a series ofallusions and coordinates, linked
by the thread ofour civil commitment within civil history, and
the kind ofcultural commitment we ask of the public in the exhibition.
Feliciano Benvenuti
The Solomon R. Guggenheim Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
Foundation
President Director AdvisoryBoard Achille Maramotti
PeterLawson-Johnston ThomasKrens oftheSolomonR. Guggenheim TheLord McAlpine
Museum Luigi Moscheri
Vice President Deputy Director Donald M. Feuerstein Maria PiaQuarzo Cerina
The Earl CastleStewart DianeWaldman Robert Meltzer Fanny Rattazzi
Rudolph Schulhof Antonio Ratti
Trustees DeputyDirector Maria Luisade Romans
Elaine Dannheisser Peggy Guggenheim AdvisoryBoard Nanette Ross
Michel David-Weill Collection ofthePeggyGuggenheimCollection Denise Saul
Carlo De Benedetti Philip Rylands Claude Pompidou,President HanneloreSchulhof
Ciianni De Michelis TheGrandDuchessofLuxembourg JamesSherwood
Robin ChandlerDuke AssistantDirector JamesAllman Robert D. Stuart,Jr.
Robert M. Gardiner MichaelGovan Tiziano M. BarbieriTorriani Marion Taylor
JohnS. Hilson AlexanderBernstein RobertoTronchetti Provera
Thomas Krens AssistantDirector Mary Bloch GianniVarasi
ArthurLevitt,Jr. forAdministration IdaBorletti Kristen Venable
Wendy L-J. McNeil andFinance Bernardino Branca RobertVenable
DeniseSaul Gail Harrity The Earl Castle Stewart
William A. Schreyer Claudio Cavazza FeliceGianani
ChiefConservator
Daniel C. Searle Enrico Chiari Umberto Nordio
JamesSherwood andAssistantDirector Jack Clerici AnnaScotti
Bonnie Ward Simon forTechnicalServices ElizabethT. Dingman HonoraryCharterMembers
PaulSchwartzbaum
SevmourSlive RosemaryChisholmFeick
PeterW. Stroh Filippo Festa
Curator
Stephen C. Swid RobertoVallarinoGancia
Twentieth-CenturyArt
AkiraTobishima CarmenGimenez Danielle Gardner
Rawleigh Warner,Jr. Gabriella Golinelli
Michael F. Wettach Curator Marino Golinelli
Donald M. Wilson PaoloGori
ContemporaryArt
WilliamT. Ylvisaker Germano Celant GiuseppinaAraldiGuinetti
Randolph H. Guthrie
TrusteesElect ConsultativeCurator JacquesHachuel M.
Mary SharpCronson MarkRosenthal W. Lawrence Heisey
RainerHeubach Lady Hulton
KatharineAnneJohnson Curator Evelyn Lambert
EdwardH. Meyer Vivian Endicott Barnett Jacques Lennon
IrisCorneliaLove
DirectorEmeritus AssociateCurator Laurence D. Lovett
Thomas M. Messer Lisa Dennison JoanVandeMaele
Acknowledgements
The spirit of internationalism that tain its> international programming the compilation of the catalogue I express my sincere thanks to all
has been a guiding principle of The with this exhibition, but it will be manuscript. Conservation and re- thosewhohavecontributed soessen-
Solomon R. Guggenheim Founda- able to do so in a place that it has search on the works are never end- tially to the realization ofthis impor-
tion since its founding in 1937 is fondly and modestly come to regard ing. tant project.
reflectedinthescopeofitscollection as its home.
and the breadth of its exhibition While it is almost impossible to sin- Thomas Krens
programming. As part of its original This exhibition is especially indebt- gle out individual contributions to Director, The Solomon
commitment to international art of ed to Mrs Hilde Thannhauser, such an all-encompassing endeavor, R. Guggenheim Foundation
the twentieth century, the Guggen- widow of Justin K. Thannhauser, there are certain staff members who
heim Museum has regularly loaned one of the chief benefactors of the were mostcentralto the project. Our
works from its collection to impor- Guggenheim Museum. Mrs Thann- thanks are therefore due toour tech-
tant exhibitions throughout the hauser agreed to t—he relaxation of nical staff, headed by Paul Schwartz-
world and, on rare occasions, it has travel restrictions —solely for this baum, Chief Conservator and Assis-
organizedexhibitionsdrawn from its Venice exhibition that were tant Director for Technical Ser-
permanent collection to be sent placedontheThannhauserworks for vices; Elizabeth Carpenter, Regis-
abroad. None of these activities, their own protection at the time of trar; Scott A. Wixon, Operations
however, has ever approached the their bequest to the Guggenheim. Manager; Ani Rivera, Preparator;
scale of this presentation at Palazzo Thus the Palazzo Grassi exhibition and David M. Heald, Photographer,
Grassi, which includes not only of Guggenheim masterpieces is a as well as to their most capable and
twentieth-century masterpieces from unique event, one that will never diligent staff members. Thecuratori-
thecoreofthe Guggenheim Founda- again be repeated. al and logistical problems posed by
tion's original holdings, but also a this exhibitionwere skillfully coordi-
selection of some of the finest exam- In order to realize an exhibition of nated by Claudia Davida Defendi,
ples from theJustin K. Thannhauser this magnitude, we have relied on Curatorial Assistant. The catalogue
Collection. These paintings and many individuals in New York and wasbrought to fruition by a dedicat-
sculptures, which have never been Venice for their interest, support edgroupofwriters, whose namesap-
seen outside the United States since and essential cooperation. We ex- pearthroughout thecatalogue; in ad-
their bequest to the Museum in tend our appreciation to the staff of dition, special mention is owed to
1976, include works by such late Palazzo Grassi as our collaborators Nancy Spector, Assistant Curator
nineteenth-century masters as van in this endeavor. Palazzo Grassi's for Research, and editors Carol
Gogh, Gauguin and Manet as well as program, since its opening in 1986, Fuerstein and Diana Murphy. The
important early works by Picasso has made an important contribution administrative organization of the
and Braque. The selections from the not only to the cultural offerings of exhibition would not have been pos-
Thannhauser Collection provide a Venice and Italy, but through its in- siblewithout theaidofGail Harrity,
perfect prelude to the major currents ternational visitorship has received Assistant Director for Finance and
intwentieth-century art which are at worldwide recognition. Administration; Thomas Ramseur,
the heart of the Guggenheim legacy. General Counsel; Terrie Henry, De-
The exhibition is of particular sig- Projects of this scale andqualitycan- velopment Consultant; Heidi Olson,
nificancetothe Guggenheim for two not be produced without the support Manager of Budget and Planning;
reasons: it represents this Museum's and contributions of corporate spon- and Brooke Burbank, Administra-
most important collaboration todate sorship. We are grateful to Johnson tiveCoordinator. In Venice, the per-
inItalyanditsignalsanewand more & Higgins, New York City, and The sonal attention and commitment of
ambitious cooperation with Palazzo Chubb Group of Insurance Compa- Philip Rylands, Deputy Director;
Grassi that holds great potential for nies, Warren, NewJersey, forgener- Claudia Rech, Development and
the future. Since 1976, when the ously providing additional financial Public Affairs Coordinator; Renata
Guggenheim Foundation assumed support for the exhibition and to Rossani, Assistant to the Deputy
responsibility for the administration LufthansaGermanAirlines, theoffi- Director; and Sharon Hecker, Ad-
ofthe Peggy Guggenheim Collection cial carrier for the exhibition in ministrative Assistant, insured the
in Venice, the Guggenheim has Italy. smooth management of this exhibi-
regarded itself as both an Italian and tion in every phase of its planning
American institution. When con- TheGuggenheim staffsin NewYork and execution.
struction of its new building in New and Venice have wholeheartedly Finally, I owe particular thanks for
Yorkforced the temporaryclosingof devoted their time and energies over the assistance of Lisa Dennison, As-
the Museum, the first thought of the the past year and a half to bring this sociate Curator, who cared for the
BoardofTrusteeswastotakeadvan- enterprise to fruition. The project selection of works from the begin-
tage ofthe opportunity to send some has touched virtually every depart- ning, and Michael Govan, Assistant
of its masterpieces to Italy. The ex- ment in the two Museums, from Director, for contributing to the or-
hibition became a reality when curatorial to administrative to tech- ganization of such a large-scale
PalazzoGrassisuggested a collabora- nical areas. These departments were project. Germano Celant, as curator
tion on a survey of early twentieth- responsible for the preparation of andcritic, providedfreshinsightinto
century art drawn solely from the the works for the exhibition, for or- thecollection and its installation and
Guggenheim Collections. Not only ganizing the complicated logistics of has been a vital link for the Guggen-
will the Guggenheim be able to sus- their travel and installation and for heim between New York and Italv.
Exhibition and Catalogue Committee
Exhibition andcatalogue Project GraphicDesign
curated by GaeAulenti oftheCatalogue
Thomas Krens with Pierluigi Cerri
with FrancescaFenaroli with
GermanoCelant Andrea Lancellotti
Lisa Dennison PressRelations
Lauro Bergamo EditorialDirector
MarioAndreose
LightingDesign
Piero Castiglioni Editor
CarlaTanzi
Video with
"DavanGogh a Picasso Giulio Lupieri
Da Kandinsky a Pollock
IIpercorsodell'arte moderna" ProductionStaff
directedby RobertoGavioli Silvano Caldara
and Pierluigi Redaelli Giancarlo Galimberti
producedbyGammaFilm