The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum is one of the oldest museum complexes in the United States of America, which was founded by the American philanthropist Solomon R. Guggenheim.
Construction and design
The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum is one of the oldest museum complexes in the United States of America, which was founded by the American philanthropist Solomon R. Guggenheim. It is an inverted pyramid with rounded shapes unusual for the thirties of the 20th century. The construction of the building was started in 1937, and completed in 1959, after the death of the founder and architect of the project. It was originally conceived as a Museum of Non-Objective Painting, but later, in the 1950s, the range of works exhibited in it was expanded. The architect Frank Lloyd Wright, the most famous master of his time, wanted to create a unique style based on the rounded shapes of the building that had not been used before. According to the author’s idea, visitors, taking the elevator at the bottom of the building, had to climb up helically and look from the top at the numerous other art buildings of the Museum Mile in New York. Frank Lloyd Wright claimed that after the construction of his creation, the nearby Metropolitan Museum of Art would seem like a shed. Unfortunately, the author died before the completion of the construction and not all ideas were put into practice.
Types of exhibitions and paintings
If at first Solomon R. Guggenheim, as a fan of abstract art, wanted to popularize the works of Kandinsky and Mondriaan through the exhibitions in the museum, then later, in order to attract a larger audience, twenty years after the opening, the works of post-impressionists of the early 19th century began to be exhibited. The museum is more famous for its large-scale exhibitions, the so-called temporary exhibitions dedicated to the cultures of entire countries, and even continents. Unlike permanent ones, they are held for a certain period of time collecting the best works on the chosen topic. Thus, the museum held exhibitions dedicated to the culture of Africa, Five Millennial China, as well as Russia. This is what makes this museum so famous. A visitor can get acquainted with the calendar of temporary expositions on the museum website and can find out about the most popular exhibitions and the latest world news can be found at the web sites.
Unique features of the museum
The museum differs from others in some features which were first introduced here:
- A souvenir room in which you can purchase a printed version of any museum exhibit;
- Each visitor can purchase a cup in the shape of a museum building;
- Unlike other museums, the excursion begins from the top floor, gradually going down;
The museum is distinguished by the fact that it is located between Central Park and the beginning of New York’s concrete jungle. Thus, the author wanted to show the neutral position of the museum between the bustle of the city, and the natural serenity.
Many patrons donate large financial resources for the development of this museum. However not every patron’s funds are accepted. Recently, the world was shocked by the news that the Solomon Guggenheim Museum refused to accept the donation of the infamous Sackler family, which produced low-quality pain-relieving medication from which more than two thousand people died. The Museum management said it was better to close the museum than accept that kind of donation.
These and other most interesting world news can be found at the web sites.
