At the Peggy Guggenheim Collection

It was a student internship at the Peggy Guggenheim Collection that first brought me to Venice many years ago.  It was an immense privilege to be entrusted with the works in this collection, and for me, every return visit to the Guggenheim Collection is like catching up with dearly loved old friends. 

I hadn't expected to be able to take photos inside the galleries but once the interns at the museum gave permission to do so - I was off and clicking away.  I was glad to be able to take some photos to share on this blog.  

I said hello to Picasso's Bathers, and I remembered learning to say "Please don't blow on the sculpture" ("Si prega di non soffiare sulla scultura") on my first day at work:

I resisted the urge to touch the endearing curves of Jean Arp's Seal:

I enjoyed the delicacy and fragility of this lovely standing woman by Giacometti:

And I stopped to enjoy the view of the Grand Canal through Pegeen's sculptures and the windows of the galleries:

I think Marino Marini's famous horse and rider on the outdoor terrace are superb - so full of dynamism and power. 

Every intern will always remember the first job of the day - cleaning pigeon droppings from the outdoor sculptures using cotton wool soaked in de-mineralised water - and the odd looks from passing passengers on the vaporetti going by- as one delicately cleans this sculpture: