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Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum Review

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Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum

Fodor's Review:

Frank Lloyd Wright's landmark museum building is visited as much for its famous architecture as it is for its superlative art. Opened in 1959, shortly after Wright's death, the Guggenheim is acclaimed as one of the greatest buildings of the 20th century. Inside, under a 92-foot-high glass dome, a seemingly endless ramp spirals down past changing exhibitions. The museum has strong holdings of Wassily Kandinsky, Paul Klee, Marc Chagall, Pablo Picasso, and Robert Mapplethorpe. HIGHLIGHTS Although the outside is hidden behind construction, details of the building can still be enjoyed from the inside. The interior nautilus design allows artworks to be viewed from several different angles and distances. Be sure to notice not only what's in front of you but also what's across the spiral from you. On permanent display, the museum's Thannhauser Collection is made up primarily of works by French impressionists and neo-impressionists Matisse, van Gogh, Toulouse-Lautrec, and Cézanne. Perhaps more than any other 20th-century painter, Wassily Kandinsky, one of the first "pure" abstract artists, has been closely linked to the museum's history. Beginning with the acquisition of his masterpiece Composition 8 (1923) in 1930, the collection has grown to encompass more than 150 works. Gallery talks give richer understanding of the masterpieces in front of you. The museum offers tours at a terrific price: free! Eat before trekking over to 5th Avenue; restaurants on Lexington offer more varied fare than the museum's cafeteria. The museum is pay what you wish on Friday after 5:45. Lines can be long, so go early. The last tickets are handed out at 7:15.

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