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Out of This Century: The Autobiography of Peggy Guggenheim
Known as 'the Mistress of modern art', Peggy Guggenheim was a passionate collector and major patron. She amassed one of the most important collections of early 20th century European and American art embracing cubism, surrealism and expressionism. A 'poor little rich girl', (her father, Benjamin, went down with the Titanic in 1912), she was magnetically drawn to the avant-g
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Paperback
,
448 pages
Published
July 1st 2005
by Andre Deutsch Ltd
(first published December 31st 1979)
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Community Reviews
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Being in the proximity of Modernism feels like a backstage pass to your favourite band's gig. Which is kind of awesome.
I was quite intrigued by Peggy's life and choice of men, but I eventually arrived at the conclusion that one mustn't say too much about other people's memoirs and definitely mustn't judge based on their own value system. So there you are: if you're into Cubism, Abstract Expressionism and Surrealism, give it a try and don't be too harsh on her.
I was quite intrigued by Peggy's life and choice of men, but I eventually arrived at the conclusion that one mustn't say too much about other people's memoirs and definitely mustn't judge based on their own value system. So there you are: if you're into Cubism, Abstract Expressionism and Surrealism, give it a try and don't be too harsh on her.
I have mixed feeling about this book. Someone who led the life Peggy Guggenheim led, living through two wars, moving between France, Italy, England, and America, and mixing with so many well-known writers and artists has to have been an interesting person with an interesting life. And while the first half of the book kept my interest as it went on I became a bit annoyed by what started to just seem like a laundry list of events and people without much explanation or introspection. Things like, "
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Peggy Guggenheim led a rich and interesting life. Although, to her regret, her formal education did not extend beyond high school, she more than compensated for that deficiency by reading widely, traveling extensively, and immersing herself in a culture of writers and artists, many of whose careers she launched or significantly advanced. The list of her friends / acquaintances / husbands / lovers is formidable, including (to mention just a very few) Samuel Beckett, James Joyce, Man Ray, Marcel D
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I've visited the Peggy Guggenheim museum in Venice 3 times over the pass 15 years! I think its one of my favourite museums. So its easy to say I admire Peggy, the museum and her love for collecting art. So I finally read her book after visiting the museum in the summer of 2014 and I could not put the book down! I was in awe of her luxurious life - not always in a good way though - she was very rich, had no boundaries, naive and spoiled - at the same time very giving. She was a rebel. It was intr
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The introduction by Gore Vidal promises that Peggy Guggenheim is the fun, witty girl you want to share barbs with at an art party:
"[S]he gave parties and collected pictures and people, there was--and is--something cool and impenetrable about her...She is a master of the one-liner that deflates some notion or trait of character or person."
Sadly, her wit and sparkle doesn't seem to make it into this account of an earnest patron of the art of her own time. What one finds instead is a strong primary ...more
"[S]he gave parties and collected pictures and people, there was--and is--something cool and impenetrable about her...She is a master of the one-liner that deflates some notion or trait of character or person."
Sadly, her wit and sparkle doesn't seem to make it into this account of an earnest patron of the art of her own time. What one finds instead is a strong primary ...more
I've heard all the rumors and was very intrigued to read this autobiography. Well, none of my questions were really answered. Guggenhiem seemed to have a very emotional coldness about her. She enjoyed writing about all the famous artists she spent her time with, but she omitted a lot about her family and personal life. Yet she had no problem talking about losing her virginity. The only thing I really got out of this book was that she was a wealthy, privileged lady, who with the help of some very
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Peggy Guggenheim came from a privileged background, and at an early age acquired a small fortune (her father died in the sinking of the
Titanic
, though I can't say I remember him from the movie, har-har). Over time she used this (and more!) money to open a gallery in London in the Thirties. She had shows for a lot of big names (Cocteau, Arp) and even married one of them (Max Ernst). Through the help of all these big names in art, Guggenheim grew to understand and appreciate painting, particularl
...more
Her father died on the Titanic. He was one of a group of wealthy men who refused a seat in the lifeboats and dressed in evening clothes to "meet death." Peggy Guggenheim herself went to Europe in the 1920s and didn't come back until WWII. She became integral to the Surrealist movement in painting, having affairs with Yves Tanguy and Max Ernst, and helping people come to America during the war. I went to her museum in NY once, to an exhibit of Surrealist art!
I read this years ago--maybe when we visited Venice and I saw her home and museum. I thought it would be fun to read again after having been an art museum docent for a year and being a bit more familiar with Arp, Pollock, Ernst--and all the other big name artists in her life.
Fun to read how madly in love she was with various gentlemen.
Also wondering more about the war years and hiding the works of art.
Fun to read how madly in love she was with various gentlemen.
Also wondering more about the war years and hiding the works of art.
This book poorly wrote about an interesting topic. Guggenheim's life was probably fascinating, but her lack of explanation and disjointed chapters prevented the story from flowing in a readable way. The pictures throughout the book were placed with no regard to what was happening in the story, and the black-and-white images did not lend themselves to the colors described throughout her life.
This book is just too poorly written to warrant a higher rating. For someone who lived such an amazing life, living in USA, France, England and Italy and having associated with some amazing people like Ernst, Pollock, Rothko and Capote, you'd think she would have hired someone to write her memoir to give her life justice. She offers no detail, introspection, or reflection. It's a superficial account of what she did. Furthermore, there is no evidence she knew the first thing about art, its compos
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A fascinating insight into Peggy Guggenheim "the mistress of modern art". A frank and outspoken account in her own words of her relationships with some of the most important artists of the 20th century. The dedication to her friend James Sweeney at the beginning of the book gives you an immediate flavour of what to expect.
Peggy: "I have something very embarrassing to ask you. Would you mind if I dedicate my memoirs to you"
James: "On the contrary, I would be flattered and delighted"
Peggy: "I hope ...more
Peggy: "I have something very embarrassing to ask you. Would you mind if I dedicate my memoirs to you"
James: "On the contrary, I would be flattered and delighted"
Peggy: "I hope ...more
Feb 07, 2011
Stephen
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
art-history
,
2011-reads
This memoir shows an art scene amidst turmoil and fragmentation, during a time of cultural and political clashing, told by a privately wealthy philanthropist, not altogether naive of her surroundings, but perhaps aluff to some of it. She is a great name in the biographies of the Surrealists, a catalyst to their popularity and promotion. As an American heiress, she was able to save a point in European art, along with others, for the world. An enjoyable read of a woman who was full of whimsy and w
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An entertaining but rather long memoir of the art collector Peggy Guggenheim. I found the first 3/4 of the book most interesting as she details her various love affairs as well as her blossoming fascination with modern art and the many artists she met and befriended. The last section of the book is dry and is more like a log of the later events of her life; indeed, she wrote it at a different point in her life. However, the stories of her Bohemian adventures are great and pretty incredible consi
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Though it was poorly written, I was intrigued by her life and lack of self-awareness. So money does not buy either happiness or healthy relationships.
An encompassing tale providing a glimpse into the development of the art world by one who should know. Personal bits and pieces are woven into it - the author is taking stock.
Mixing with the lost generation in pre-war Paris she escaped to the US with Max Ernst with dozens of paintings, before founding her gallery in Venice. Early discoverer of Pollock and Rothko she knew everybody including Beckett, Joyce, Pound etc and reputedly "entertained" most of them!
I recently spent a weekend in Venice which included a couple of hours enjoying the Peggy Guggenheim Collection. Inspired by my time with her amazing collection, I purchased her autobiography at the museum store as I left.
She was quite the character, and it was thoroughly enjoyable (and a bit of an education!) to get a glimpse of the Bohemian lifestyle of Europe in the '20s and '30s, how she fell into the art scene and became such a respected collector. Her personal tale is fascinating and had s ...more
She was quite the character, and it was thoroughly enjoyable (and a bit of an education!) to get a glimpse of the Bohemian lifestyle of Europe in the '20s and '30s, how she fell into the art scene and became such a respected collector. Her personal tale is fascinating and had s ...more
Great literature it's not, but for the pleasure it gave me, five stars. Because that's what it's all about in the end.
Fascintating woman with fascinating stories
3/4 of the book was an amazing read. Loved the tone and the passion. 1/4 of the book drags a bit. The writer wrote her own memoir at three different times in her life and admits herself that each section reads differently. Loved the first section which is 3/4 of the book. Read the rest because I wanted to know how her life turns out. Overall, an amazingly written memoir during a very interesting time in history. Felt like I was right there living her life with her.
A fun peek into a side of the Art world that few of us ever get to experience, especially for those of us who love Contemporary Art, such as works by Jackson Pollock.
This is a super fast, fun and overall enjoyable read! Peggy Guggenheim is a lost rarity and she gives you a glimpse into what a socialite use to be- and no table top dancing or catch phrases were involved.
Her life aside, she has great insight into art and the modern art movement being so much a part of it herself, it really got me interested in reading some more books on art in that time period!
If you want something charming and quick this is a must!!
Her life aside, she has great insight into art and the modern art movement being so much a part of it herself, it really got me interested in reading some more books on art in that time period!
If you want something charming and quick this is a must!!
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A quick, interesting read. Peggy Guggenheim was in the right places at the right time with cash in her pocket. She did a great thing by amassing her collections. I just picture her as portrayed in the film "Pollock," not entirely flattering. She could have used a better editor or ghostwriter - entirely too choppy. A must read for collectors or the art-obsessed; others may be put off by the name-dropping & poor writing.
The writing was not exceptional, but the story was pretty fascinating. This woman slept with just about every man on the list of Modernism, from Beckett to Duchamp. Sure, she might be the biggest art tramp of the century, but who doesn't want to hear the babbling of such a person (and one who ultimately helped define the global art taste of the 20th century).
Good read, but in a sort of tabloidy way.
Good read, but in a sort of tabloidy way.
May 29, 2008
Allie
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
modern art lovers, art historians.
Peggy Guggenheim had a fascinating life, and this, her autobiography is a quick and entertaining read, filled with interesting anecdotes about her artist friends, including Max Ernst, Jackson Pollock, and many others. Her collection and her palazzo in Venice is one of my favorite places in Europe and so I really enjoyed reading more about it. She is important part of the history of 20th century art.
Only interesting to those already insanely interested in art - very dry but enjoyable account of art world gossip. You can almost feel Peggy herself cornering you at a party and talking your ear off (I have yet to decide if this is the enjoyable part or not). The chapter on her NYC gallery Art of This Century is by far the most fascinating. It makes me wish galleries weren't all white boxes...
I finished this ages ago. And quickly at that.
Peggy has inspired me to become an "armchair master" of my own passion. Look out beverage world! I seek to concur you, but on a shoestring budget.
Can someone tell me an assured manner to achieve Guggenheim funds to finance as reasonably stocked wine cellar and cache of single malt scotches upon my coffee plantation?
Peggy has inspired me to become an "armchair master" of my own passion. Look out beverage world! I seek to concur you, but on a shoestring budget.
Can someone tell me an assured manner to achieve Guggenheim funds to finance as reasonably stocked wine cellar and cache of single malt scotches upon my coffee plantation?
A well-told, as opposed to well-written, personal account of the European and US art world in the first half of the 20th century. I felt as if Peggy was speaking directly to the page, as if to a friend, without the intervention of an editor. There were lots of gossipy stories about artists and eccentrics, as well as many photos of the personalities involved.
Art gossip. It doesn't get any better than this. When I read this book, I again see the fabulous Pollock, Miro, and Kandinsky canvases hanging on the walls of the Pallazzo Venier Dei Leoni. I see the Calder headboard and mobile reflecting the light from the wave in the Grand Canal. This is a must read for anyone who loves modern art or who loves Venice.
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Peggy Guggenheim was an American art collector. Born Marguerite Guggenheim to a wealthy New York City family, she was the daughter of Benjamin Guggenheim, who went down with the Titanic in 1912 and the niece of Solomon R. Guggenheim, who would establish the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation. Peggy's father was of Swiss-German Jewish origin, and her mother Jewish, German, and Dutch.
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