Review of Peggy Guggenheim: Art Addict (2015) by Betty W — 24 Jan 2016

Peggy Guggenheim was an art dealer, no, THE art dealer of modern art in the 20th century. "Peggy Guggenheim: Art Addict" paints a wonderful "warts and all" portrait of this fascinating character.

The point of any documentary is to inform and entertain. The goal of a great documentary should be to make the audience feel like an absolute expert in a subject of which they knew nothing 2 hours prior. I knew nothing about Peggy Guggenheim or Art of This Century before watching the film, and I'm glad I didn't. I didn't have any spoilers.

Guggenheim, yes one of THOSE Guggenheims, was a black sheep and a bon vivant. She was one of the "poor" Guggenheims. Poor being only a relative term in comparison to her uncle Solomon, who has a museum you've probably heard about. She transplanted to Europe early on and befriended (and slept with) many of the great painters and sculptor of the 20th century. She spent her fortune on the art of her friends, and she had a particularly good eye (and a decent art purchase adviser, Marcel Duchamp).

I won't discuss all of her deeds, because I think this a documentary you should see. It's interesting and, for the most part, feel-good experience. You might start planning a trip to Venice once you leave the theatre.