When visitors stroll the stretch of Fifth Avenue knows as “Museum Mile,” The Guggenheim Museum(opens in a new tab) always catches their eye. Since this building is just as striking inside as on the outside, we want to help you get the most out of your visit!
What Is the Guggenheim Museum Famous for
The Guggenheim Museum is famous for being one of the most stunning pieces of architecture in NYC, and the only building in Manhattan designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. The sweeping exterior of the building resembles a giant white spiraled nautilus shell(opens in a new tab). Wright said of the design, “these geometric forms suggest certain human ideas, moods, sentiments – as for instance: the circle, infinity; the triangle, structural unity; the spiral, organic progress; the square, integrity” (Angelica Zander Rudenstine, “The Guggenheim Museum Collection: Paintings, 1880–1945”). In addition to poetic symbolism, the architecture also makes a fantastic photo op and is a great piece of New York art.
What Kind of Museum Is the Guggenheim
The Guggenheim Museum is one of the best modern art museums with a continuously-expanding collection of impressionist, post-impressionist, early modern, and contemporary art. In addition to housing works of contemporary masters, the building itself is a work of art. In fact, when the museum originally opened, some critics even worried that the stunning and unconventional layout would upstage the museum’s artworks!
What Should You Not Miss at the Guggenheim
If you are a fan of American paintings and contemporary abstract art, you will be delighted to know that the Guggenheim is currently showcasing a special exhibition(opens in a new tab) dedicated to Jackson Pollock’s “Mural,” which has not been seen in NYC for more than two decades! This giant canvas, covered in dripping paint, is an important work, as it was created when Pollock first began to challenge the traditional notions of painting!
Several Van Gogh landscapes grace the Guggenheim’s permanent collection(opens in a new tab) including “Mountains at Saint-Remy,” “Landscape with Snow,” and “Roadway with Underpass.” Van Gogh loved painting outside, as he believed it could help restore his health.
Make sure to also catch the museum’s Manet paintings. Visitors love to marvel at how he captured late-19th-century society. “Before the Mirror,” “Woman in Striped Dress,” and “Portrait of Countess Albazzi” are all part of the museum’s permanent collection.