Peggy Guggenheim (1898-1979) was an American art collector, bohemian and socialite. The daughter of a wealthy New York City family, she married into European aristocracy and became known for her eclectic taste in art. She collected works by many Modernist artists, including Pablo Picasso, Jackson Pollock, Marcel Duchamp and Wassily Kandinsky. In 1949, she opened a museum of modern art in Venice, which helped to promote the careers of Abstract Expressionist painters.
A prominent figure in the New York City art world, Guggenheim was also friends with many influential artists and writers, including Ernest Hemingway and Truman Capote. She was known for her eccentricity and unconventional lifestyle, which was often chronicled in the media.
Despite her privileged background, Guggenheim was a keen supporter of avant-garde art and artists. She believed that art should be accessible to everyone and worked hard to promote the careers of emerging talent. She is remembered as one of the most important patrons of 20th-century art.
