Painting by American artist Wiliam Baziotes given to the Peggy Guggenheim Collection
Ethel Baziotes, widow of the American Abstract Expressionist painter William Baziotes (1912-63), has give an important early work by the artist to the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, for exhibition at the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, Venice. The Parachutists (duco enamel on canvas, 1944) fills an important gap in the Foundation’s holdings, which already include later works of great beauty in Baziotes’ characteristic biomorphic semi-abstract style, but which lacked a work from the early 1940s when the New York school was in its formative phase.
The gift has a special meaning for the Venice museum. The Parachutists was first exhibited in New York in 1944 at Peggy Guggenheim’s celebrated museum/gallery Art of This Century on the occasion of Baziotes’ first one-man show (October 3-21). Baziotes, together with Jackson Pollock and Robert Motherwell, was among the first American artists to benefit from Peggy Guggenheim’s patronage. Until now the Peggy Guggenheim Collection has not been able to represent Baziotes with a painting of such importance. Art of This Century is the subject of an entire exhibition currently on display at the Peggy Guggenheim Collection (through January 9, 2005): ‘Peggy and Kiesler. The Collector and the Visionary” (in collaboration with the Kiesler Foundation, Vienna).
The Parachutits will be shown in Venice at the Peggy Guggenheim Collection for the first time on the occasion of the opening of a major retrospective of the paintings and drawings of William Baziotes, 4 September 2004 - 9 January 2005. Organized in collaboration with the artist’s estate, the exhibition will be the first ever to be presented in Europe. This new exhibition, curated by Michael Preble, will bring together some 37 paintings and 20 watercolor drawings, from museums and collections all over the United States of America.
Philip Rylands, director of the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, expresses his gratitude to Mrs Baziotes, and to Joseph Helman, Peter Ryan and the Helman Gallery, New York: “Baziotes has yet to be given full recognition in Europe for the quality and originality of his contribution to the New York School; the Venice museum is very proud of this permanent addition to Peggy’s collection.” For the occasion, Mrs Baziotes quoted Sir Joshua Reynolds: “Present time and future may be considered as rivals. He who solicits the one may expect to be discountenanced by the other.” She knew Peggy Guggenheim well, and recalled a confidence she shared with her when she remarked “There is method in my madness.”
Institutional Patrons: Banca del Gottardo, Regione del Veneto
The programs of the Peggy Guggenheim Collection are made possible by the Peggy Guggenheim Collection Advisory Board and Intrapresæ Collezione Guggenheim.