THE NEW SCHULHOF COLLECTION AT THE GUGGENHEIM

The new Schulhof Collection is the most prestigious bequest in the history of the Guggenheim Museum in Venice and the testimony of a long-term friendship with Peggy.
She met Hannelore and Rudolph Schulhof in the garden of her house, in the late 50’s/early 60’s, while they were questioning about a painting on the wall of Peggy’s bedroom.
She opened the window and invited them in, that’s how it got started!
Hannelore was born and raised in Germany before the outbreak of the World War II, and her family moved to Prague in 1937, where she met Rudolph Schulhof, a Czech-born man ten years her senior.
They got married in Brussels and in 1940 they managed to take the last ship out of Europe, together with the relatives of both families.
The Schulhofs’ interest in Modern Art dates from the late 1940’s, when Hannelore was working as a volunteer at an art exhibit in Long Island.
She saw a Pollock’s work that had such a profound impact on her!
She started to take Art courses at the Moma, joined the lectures of art critics, and took her husband to art galleries in New York. When the family paper business became more successful, it was easier to approach art dealers and being introduced to artists, in order to get a first hand experience of the art world, of what the Schulhof liked and could afford to buy.
One of the earliest purchases was a painting, “Yellow Country” in 1957, by Afro, who initiated them to Italian contemporary art and to the the artists in Milan, where Rudolph had an office in the 60’s.
He and his wife used to visit the Galleria del Naviglio, one of the most successful art galleries in the city, run by the Venetian dealer Carlo Cardazzo who became a Schulhof’s good friend and sold them a Giuseppe Capogrossi painting and a Jean Arp sculpture.
Peggy was also familiar with Cardazzo’s Galleria del Cavallino in Venice, where she bought works by Renato Birolli, Joan Mirò and Massimo Campigli.
The Schulhof were attracted by what could meet their tastes, and could easily afford. As Hannelore said “Buy with your eyes, not your ears”, which gives evidence of self confidence and personal refined knowledge on art. Thanks to their lifelong friendship with Peggy, with whom they shared a great enthusiasm for Modern art, the Schulhof’s will provided Guggenheim Foundation with part of their private collection of artworks. Go see THE NEW SCHULHOF COLLECTION and enjoy the amazing paintings on display.