The Museum of Non-Objective Painting opened in 1939 at 24 East 54th Street in New York City, serving as the first public venue for a growing collection of avant-garde works. This institution, established by Solomon R. Guggenheim, marked the culmination of a transition from a career in industrial mining to a focus on international philanthropy.
Early Career and Industrial Ventures
Born in 1861 in Philadelphia to Barbara and Meyer Guggenheim, Solomon received early education before traveling to Switzerland to study business at the Concordia Institute in Zürich. He joined M. Guggenheim & Sons, the family enterprise, managing its needlework operations in Saxony. Upon returning to the United States, he engaged heavily in the family mining business, overseeing the extraction of gold, silver, copper, and lead. In 1891, he directed the Compañia de la Gran Fundición Nacional Mexicana, later serving as president of the Braden Copper Company in Chile. In 1906, he founded the Yukon Gold Company.
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Guggenheim began acquiring works by old masters in the 1890s, encouraged by his wife, Irene Rothschild. He retired from commercial activity in 1919 to dedicate his time to art. His approach shifted significantly after 1926 when he met Baroness Hilla von Rebay. A 1930 visit to Wassily Kandinsky’s studio in Dessau initiated a series of purchases of non-objective art. He displayed these acquisitions, including works by Fernand Léger, Marc Chagall, Rudolf Bauer, and László Moholy-Nagy, at his residence in the Plaza Hotel.
Foundation and Expansion
The Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation was established in 1937. As the collection grew, the necessity for a permanent building became clear. In 1943, Guggenheim commissioned Frank Lloyd Wright to design a new museum structure. By 1948, the holdings increased substantially following the acquisition of Karl Nierendorf’s estate, which contained 730 items, including German expressionist pieces. The collection also grew to feature works by Joan Miró, Paul Klee, and Oskar Kokoschka. Guggenheim died in 1949, and the renamed Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum opened its new building in 1959.
Fast facts
- Born: 1861, Philadelphia
- Died: 1949, Long Island, New York
- Spouse: Irene M. Rothschild
- Notable Foundation: Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation
- Commissioned Architect: Frank Lloyd Wright
- Burial Site: Salem Fields Cemetery
Questions readers ask
What businesses did Solomon R. Guggenheim operate?
He was involved in the family needlework company, mining operations in Mexico and Chile, and the Yukon Gold Company.
When did the Guggenheim museum officially open in its permanent home?
The Frank Lloyd Wright-designed building opened in New York City on October 21, 1959.
Achievements
- Holdings: Storm: The Quarry at Montmartre
