New York City (Fodor's, 2012) - Fodor's [93]
Neue Galerie New York.
Early-20th-century German and Austrian art and design are the focus here, with Gustav Klimt, Wassily Kandinsky, Paul Klee, Egon Schiele, Josef Hoffman, and other designers from the Wiener Werkstätte. The Neue Galerie was founded by the late art dealer Serge Sabarsky and cosmetics heir and art collector Ronald S. Lauder.
The two-floor gallery, Viennese-style café, and design shop are in a 1914 wood- and marble-floor mansion designed by Carrère and Hastings, which was home to Mrs. Cornelius Vanderbilt III. An audio guide is included with admission. Note that children under 12 are not admitted, and teens 12–16 must be accompanied by an adult.
In an elegant, high-ceiling space below the Neue Galerie, Café Sabarsky serves Viennese coffee, cakes, strudels, and Sacher tortes (Monday and Wednesday 9–6, Thursday–Sunday 9–9). If you seek something more than a sugar fix, the savory menu includes trout crepes and Hungarian goulash. | 1048 5th Ave., at E. 86th St., Upper East Side | 10028 | 212/628–6200 | www.neuegalerie.org | $15 | Children under 12 not admitted | Thurs.–Mon. 11–6 | Subway: 4, 5, 6 to 86th St.
Fodor’s Choice | Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum.
Frank Lloyd Wright’s landmark museum building is visited as much for its famous architecture as for its superlative art. Opened in 1959, shortly after Wright’s death, the Guggenheim is acclaimed as one of the greatest buildings of the 20th century. After a three-year restoration project completed at the end of October 2008, the Guggenheim building is once again a glorious vision. Eleven coats of paint were removed, exterior cracks were fixed, and supporting structures were reinforced. Inside, under a 92-foot-high glass dome, a seemingly endless ramp spirals down past changing exhibits. The museum has strong holdings of Wassily Kandinsky, Paul Klee, Marc Chagall, Pablo Picasso, and Robert Mapplethorpe.
Guggenheim Highlights
Wright’s design was criticized by some who believed that the distinctive building detracted from the art within, but the interior nautilus design allows artworks to be viewed from several different angles and distances. Be sure to notice not only what’s in front of you but also what’s across the spiral from you.
Even if you aren’t planning to eat, stop at the museum’s modern American restaurant, the Wright, for its stunning design created by Andre Kikosk.
On permanent display, the museum’s Thannhauser Collection is made up primarily of works by French impressionists and postimpressionists van Gogh, Toulouse-Lautrec, Cézanne, and Matisse. Perhaps more than any other 20th-century painter, Wassily Kandinsky, one of the first “pure” abstract artists, has been closely linked to the museum’s history. Beginning with the acquisition of his masterpiece Composition 8 (1923) in 1930, the collection has grown to encompass more than 150 works.
Guggenheim Tips
Gallery talks provide richer understanding of the masterpieces in front of you.
The museum offers tours at a terrific price: free!
Eat before trekking over to 5th Avenue; restaurants on Lexington offer more varied fare than the museum’s cafeteria.
The museum is pay-what-you-wish on Saturday from 5:45 to 7:45. Lines can be long, so go early. The last tickets are handed out at 7:15.
1071 5th Ave., between E. 88th and E. 89th Sts., Upper East Side | 212/423–3500 | www.guggenheim.org | $18 | Sun.–Wed. 10–5:45, Fri. 10–5:45, Sat. 10–7:45. Closed Thurs. | Subway: 4, 5, 6 to 86th St.
Fodor’s Choice | Whitney Museum of American Art.
With its bold collection of 20th- and 21st-century and contemporary American art, this museum presents an eclectic mix drawn from more than 18,000 works in its permanent collection. The museum was originally a gallery in the studio of sculptor and collector Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, whose talent and taste were accompanied by the money of two wealthy families. In 1930, after the Met turned down Whitney’s offer to donate her collection of 20th-century American art, she established an independent museum