The Thannhauser Collection, formed by the collector and art dealer Justin K. Thannhauser (1892–1976), introduced to the Guggenheim’s holdings works by such groundbreaking artists as Edgar Degas, Édouard Manet, and Vincent van Gogh, and more than thirty examples by Pablo Picasso. This major gift provides an important survey of late 19th- and early 20th-century modernism. It was during this critical period—as artists sought to liberate art from academic genres and introduce contemporary subject matter—that the avant-garde investigated novel materials and methods, setting the stage for the development of radical new styles.

The Thannhausers’ promotion of artistic progress, and their advancement of the early careers of many modern artists, paralleled the vision of this museum’s founder, Solomon R. Guggenheim. In recognition of this shared spirit, and in memory of his first wife and two sons, Justin Thannhauser announced in 1963 a gift of essential works from his private collection to the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation. His widow, Hilde Thannhauser (1919–1991), subsequently made additional gifts of art to the museum.

Please join us for a special visit to the “Thannhauser Collection” exhibition at Guggenheim, New York.

All invitations are personal and non-transferable.

Image: Installation view, Thannhauser Collection, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, Ongoing. Photo: David Heald