About the Collection
The Thannhauser Collection is the closest thing to a permanent collection at the Guggenheim. The second-floor wing off of the rotunda is filled with paintings and sculptures collected by Justin K. Thannhauser over the course of his long career as a dealer and collector. Thannhauser donated a significant portion of his collection to the museum in 1965. Thannhauser worked primarily in Europe and his collection is full of major European artists, including Picasso, Manet, Monet, and Cezanne. Most names are familiar, but the collection does not house any of the artists' most famous piece. These are deeper track pieces, supplementing works you see at other museums.
What You Will See
The collection seems small given the size of the museums but it is packed with impressive pieces. While works rotate on occasion, you can expect to see multiple works by Picasso from across his career, several pieces by Vladimir Kandinsky--another favorite of Thannhauser--as well as selections from such names as Degas, Gauguin, Gris, Sauret, and Matisse. Supplementing the paintings are select sculptures (generally small given the size of the gallery) scattered through the room. Check out the <a href="https://www.guggenheim.org/artwork/category/on-view-in-new-york" target="_blank">museum's collection online</a> to verify if your favorites are currently on display.
Why You Should Go
With the Met, the MoMA and even the Neue Gallery just down the street, this collection tends to be overshadowed in the NYC art landscape. Yet this would be the premier collection of Impressionist, Futurists, Cubists and other Modernist styles in any other city in this hemisphere. Given the other museum options, this collection might not be enough to bring you to the museum on its own, but it is the perfect supplement to whatever exhibit actually brought you here. While you could zip through and see the highlights in just a few minutes, grab the audio guide and go slowly. A thorough visit examining each piece is only an hour of your time.
