The Sonnabend Collection at Ca' Pesaro

Climbing up to the second floor of the Ca' Pesaro museum I experienced a temporary exhibition featuring mostly American modern and contemporary art from the latter half of the 20th century taken from the very impressive Sonnabend collection.

Ileana Sonnabend (1914-2007), was an influential figure in the American art world having been married to both Leo Castelli, and Michael Sonnabend. She was renowned for discovering new artistic talent and promoting avante-garde European and American artists. The collection is interesting because it picks up where the Ca' Pesaro's collecting ended, specialising in Pop Art and Conceptualism. The Sonnabend Collection enhances the works in the permanent collection below on the first floor. Many of the greats of American art from that period are featured in a selection below. 

Roy Lichtenstein, Hot Dog, 1963

Roy Lichtenstein, Wall Explosion II, 1965

Arman, Infinity of Typewriters and Infinity of Time = Hamlet, 1962

Claes Oldenburg, Roast Beef, 1961

Christo, Empaquetage Sur Diable, 1964

Robert Rauschenberg, Interior, 1956

Robert Rauschenberg, Payload, 1962

Robert Morris, Nine Fibreglass Sleeves, 1967

John Baldessari - Everthing Is Purged From This Painting But Art, No Ideas Have Entered This Work, 1966

Donald Judd, Untitled, 1966

Jasper Johns - Figure 8, 1959

James Rosenquist - Balcony, 1961

Jeff Koons - Wild Boy & Puppy, 1988

Andy Warhol, Del Monte and Brillo Boxes, 1964

Andy Warhol, Ileana Sonnabend, 1973

Andy Warhol, Nine Jackies, 1964

Andy Warhol, Flowers, 1962

Bruce Nauman, None Sing Neon Sign,

Robert Morris, Untitled, 1980

Roy Lichtenstein - Little Aloha, 1962

 

A.R. Penck, Verteidgung (Defence), 1982

 

The second floor also featured a temporary exhibition from a selection of paintings by Venetian Pop Artist Luciano Zarotti who's work looks as if it was heavily influenced by that of David Hockney.

I really enjoyed my time at the Ca' Pesaro, it was an auspicious entry into the galleries and museums of Venice.

The Sonnabend Collection
until 2nd September 2018
Ca' Pesaro
Galleria d'Arte Moderna
Canal Grande
Santa Croce 2076

Ca' Pesaro

The Ca' Pesaro art museum was very close to my hotel, and was therefore, the first stop on my wanderings about Venice. The Ca' Pesaro is a huge Baroque palazzo and is Venice's official museum of modern and oriental art. Most of the artwork in the Ca' Pesaro was accumulated in the early 1900s when pieces were bought for the collection directly from Venice's internationally renowned Biennale. The gallery stopped acquiring works in the 1950s so it is not perhaps a museum of truly modern art. There are are however many gems in the collection from the early 20th century, a selection of which are found below.

The patterned marble floors in the Ca' Pesaro were stunning.

One of Italian sculptor Giacomo Manzù's Seated Cardinals guards the entrance.

The exhibits in the permanent collection on the first floor opened with a dialogue between the output of sculptors Auguste Rodin, Medardo Rosso, and Adolfo Wildt. Please forgive the lack of information on artworks. I was so engrossed in looking, that I forgot to take the names of artists and artworks so this blog is done from hindsight and memory. The Ca' Pesaro's website unfortunately doesn't appear to list its own artworks.

Afro Basaldella - La Fabbrica di San Pietro - 1960

Alberto Burri

Bonnard

Matisse

Calder

Kandinsky

Picasso

I adored the textures created by the energetic mark-making in this painting - G.G. 105, (1961), by Mario Deluigi.

Henry Moore

Giorgio Morandi

Di Chirico

Antonio Donghi

This dynamic table was created by Bugatti the designer of high performance cars.

Being so close to the island of Murano the collection features some beautiful examples of glassware, a particular speciality of the area. These were some of my favourites which looked wonderfully tactile. The shapes and forms were marvelous. Some pieces were so light and delicate, whilst others were hardy and robust, displaying the versatility of the medium of glass.

Rodin's Thinker

Marc Chagall
 

I was so pleased to see a piece by Franz von Stuck - Medusa (above), whose figurative work was a big influence early on in my career.

Edvard Munch
 

An erotic Egon Schiele drawing, accompanied by a wonderful painting - Judith II (Salome) 1909 - by his mentor Gustav Klimt - an undisputed jewel of the Ca' Pésaro collection.

The permanent collection at Ca' Pesaro is a small but engaging selection of art. The museum of Oriental art at the very top of the palazzo however really needs to be updated and given a new presentation. An air of neglect seems to hang over what is a good collection of some beautiful oriental artefacts and paintings. The works are in desperate need of labelling so the viewer knows exactly what they are looking at and from what periods. 

The paintings and relief decoration on the ceilings of the palazzo are very impressive and give an indication of just how opulent the Ca' Pesaro was in its heyday.

Ca' Pesaro
Galleria d'arte Moderna/Museo Orientale
Canal Grande
Santa Croce 2076