Other Major Museums New York
Guggenheim Museum, Fifth Avenue at 89th Street. Open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.; closed on Mondays. Free Tuesday evenings after 5.
The first thing to notice about the Guggenheim is the building. Some call it a giant snail, other pronounce it a masterpiece of New York architecture. Its architect, Frank Lloyd Wright, regarded it as a piece of sculpture. Inside, a wide spiral ramp the gallery runs around the wall. The sky-lit core is empty. The incline, the colour of the wall, the lighting have all been carefully selected so that the viewer’s eyes do not tire.
The basic collection is that of Solomon R. Guggenheim, who came here from Switzerland and made his fortune in copper. His collection has since been enlarged to include works by Kandinsky, Klee and Chagall, plus thousands of others. The Justin K. Thannhauser collection, housed in an annex, contains paintings by Renoir, Monet, Cezanne, Van Gogh. Gauguin and Degas. The museum holds 8 to 12 different exhibitions each year.
Visitors can eat in the attractive cafeteria (with a covered terrace for summer dining) and the bookshop has a wide choice of posters and books for sale.
Frick Collection, 1 East 70th Street. Open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; 1 to 6 p. m. on Sundays, closed on Mondays. Children under 10 not admitted.
