Art from the 16th Through the 20th Centuries in Venice (Day 44 - GToE)

Today was an art day because the weather was pretty nasty all day - cold and rainy. Speaking of rain and wet conditions, my brother asked me the other day if Venice floods. Oh my YES! In fact, the hostel where I'm staying is located in an area that if a dog takes a wee outside, all the pathways flood. So in order to keep my new suede boots that I purchased in Milan from getting completely ruined by walking through flooded pathways (or conversely having to spend all my time sitting in my hostel room), I purchased "Goldon - overshoes pocket boots for everyday emergencies" from the local supermarket (see photo). Aren't they sexy?! Actually they're pretty handy when trying to get through the flooded areas of the city and I'm not alone in wearing these overshoes.

A Jackson Pollock

My first stop of the day was the Peggy Guggenheim Museum. Peggy Guggenheim was "an American art collector, bohemian and socialite. Born 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 Guggenheim created a noted art collection in Europe and America primarily between 1938 and 1946. She exhibited this collection as she built it and, in 1949, settled in Venice, where she lived and exhibited her collection for the rest of her life" (Wikipedia). In 1969, Peggy gave her entire collection to the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation on the proviso that it remain in Venice as a complete collection. Some of the artists that Peggy collected: Pablo Picasso, Georges Braque, Salvador Dali, Max Ernst (her second husband), Jackson Pollock, Wassily Kandinsky and many other great artists. Peggy had impeccable tastes and her collection was amazing to view. She also had a very interesting life all on her own. Peggy's ashes are buried in the courtyard of the palazzo next to her "babies" (her dogs). Next to her burial plot, there's a Wish Tree which was donated to the museum by Yoko Ono as a testimonial to their friendship. The idea is to make a silent wish, which I did but as it's the same wish I've been asking for nearly 5 years, I assume it will not come true. It's a simple wish that wouldn't be difficult to fulfill, but it remains elusive. There were a couple of benches with amazing inscriptions written on them - check out my photos to see them. I spent over 2 hours in the museum looking at one masterful work after another. I almost didn't want to leave.

After that magical time spent among Peggy's artwork, I then went to a couple of additional museums/churches with equally stunning artwork although much earlier in history. First was the Ca' Rezzonico, a Grand Canal palazzo which offers an insightful look at the life of the Venice's rich and famous in the 1700s. Next, I viewed the Frari Church which houses three pieces of worthwhile artwork: a statue by Donatello, a painting by Bellini, and a painting by Titian. Then I walked over to the Scuola San Rocco, a meeting hall for a brotherhood of lay people whose purpose is to do good works for others. Sometimes nicknamed "Tintoretto's Sistine Chapel", this hall has some 50 large, colorful Tintoretto paintings which plaster the walls and ceilings. They are simply some of the best artwork from the 1500s. Next to the Scuola is San Rocco Church with about 12 more pieces of art, several of which are Tintoretto. Sadly, no photos were allowed in Frari Church, the Scuola or San Rocco Church.

After all of that, I decided to walk over to the Rialto Bridge because when in Venice, you must walk the Rialto Bridge! I did some window shopping and then took a couple of photos. I then decided to hop a vaporetto with the thought that I would take some night photos - forgetting that the combination of rain, a moving boat, and nighttime are not exactly conducive for good photos. I managed to get a couple of decent photos. Advice: if you ever find yourself in Venice, make sure you take a night boat up the Grand Canal. Riding at night, with a nearly empty boat and the chandelier-lit palace interiors viewable is a 'must see' experience.

After that I was done in. I picked up something to eat from the local supermarket, returned to the hostel, ate, and wrote this blog. The rest of the night will be spent continued reading of Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens.

Check out my Day 44 photos (with lots of Peggy's artwork) on my GToE photo site. Tomorrow I'm off to Florence!