Guggenheim Jeune

This gallery, which was located at 30 Cork Street in London's Mayfair, had a short but interesting life. Operating for only 18 months from January 1938 to June 1939, it was the first gallery founded by American art patron Peggy Guggenheim (1898-1979). Despite its brief existence, it is credited with introducing avant-garde, abstract, and surrealist art to a then-conservative British public. The name was chosen to associate the gallery with the famous French gallery Bernheim-Jeune and her own family name. She was heavily encouraged and assisted by Marcel Duchamp and also worked closely with art historian Herbert Read. The gallery hosted more than 20 exhibitions during its short existence, including several 'new to Britain' artists. These included Jean Cocteau and Vasily Kandinsky's first solo exhibition in Britain. British artists included works by Henry Moore, Barbara Hepworth and Alexander Calder. Other 'greats' included Salvador Dalí, Piet Mondrian, Yves Tanguy, and Jean Arp.

The gallery lost money throughout its existence, and as World War II loomed, Peggy abandoned London and fled to New York. Her personal wealth allowed her to purchase works from every show mounted at her gallery. The collection now forms the essence of what is now the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice. At the time of writing this entry, there is a planned upcoming exhibition, "Peggy Guggenheim in London: The Making of a Collector. It is scheduled to run at the Royal Academy of Arts from November 2026 to March 2027 to celebrate the gallery's legacy.