11 must-see works and spaces at the Guggenheim New York
Quick answer
The Guggenheim New York's must-sees are Frank Lloyd Wright's rotunda, Kandinsky's Composition 8 and Blue Mountain, Picasso's Woman Ironing, Van Gogh's Mountains at Saint-Rémy and Cézanne's Man with Crossed Arms. The collection rotates, so confirm what is on view before you go.
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The 11 key works, by space
The permanent collection rotates, so some works may be in storage on your visit. Ask at information or check the day's floor plan.
- 1
Ground floor
The rotunda — Frank Lloyd Wright (1959)
A white concrete spiral under a glass skylight that changed how art is displayed. Walking the ramp is the central experience.
- 2
Rotunda · skylight
The skylight
The glass dome floods the whole ramp with natural light; the best view is from the centre of the ground floor.
- 3
Tower galleries
Composition 8 — Wassily Kandinsky (1923)
A landmark of geometric abstraction made during his Bauhaus years.
- 4
Tower galleries
Blue Mountain — Wassily Kandinsky (1908-1909)
A decisive step towards abstraction: pure colour and a rider almost dissolving into the landscape.
- 5
Thannhauser galleries
Woman Ironing — Pablo Picasso (1904)
A Blue Period work capturing a worker's exhaustion in a frail, stooped figure.
- 6
Thannhauser galleries
Mountains at Saint-Rémy — Vincent van Gogh (1889)
Painted during his stay at the Saint-Paul-de-Mausole asylum, with sky and hills stirred by his brushwork.
- 7
Thannhauser galleries
Man with Crossed Arms — Paul Cézanne (c. 1899)
A calm, almost sculptural portrait that anticipates Cubism.
- 8
Thannhauser galleries
Before the Mirror — Édouard Manet (1876)
A woman in a corset before a mirror: an intimate scene that defied the conventions of the Salon.
- 9
Thannhauser galleries
Dancers in Green and Yellow — Edgar Degas (c. 1903)
Vibrant pastel showing the master of movement late in his career.
- 10
Tower galleries
Yellow Cow — Franz Marc (1911)
German Expressionism: symbolic colour used to give animals a voice.
- 11
Tower galleries
The Green Violinist — Marc Chagall (1923-1924)
A scene of Jewish village life in Russia, floating between reality and dream.
How to see them in one visit
Take the elevator to the top and walk down; the Kandinsky works and the Thannhauser collection are usually in the tower galleries, though the order changes. Our 2-hour route helps you pace the visit.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most famous thing at the Guggenheim New York?
The Frank Lloyd Wright building itself, with its spiral ramp, followed by the Kandinsky works and the Thannhauser collection.
Where are the Van Gogh and Picasso works?
They belong to the Thannhauser collection, shown on rotation in the tower galleries. Check which pieces are on view on the day.
Can I always see these works?
No. The collection rotates and some pieces are on loan or in storage, so a specific work is never guaranteed.
Does it have Picasso?
Yes, such as Woman Ironing (1904), but whether it is on view depends on the rotation.