Born in Strasbourg in 1890, Hilla Rebay was deeply interested in Theosophy and spiritual ideas. Though trained as a portrait and figurative painter, she later focused on non-objective art, aligning with the European avant-garde movements like Dada in Zurich and Galerie Der Sturm in Berlin.
In 1927, Rebay moved to the U.S. and became an advisor to Solomon R. Guggenheim, influencing him to collect non-objective art, which she believed had spiritual significance. She became the first director and curator of the Guggenheim Museum, guiding it through the creation of traveling exhibitions.
In 1943, she selected Frank Lloyd Wright to design a permanent museum for the collection. Rebay maintained a long artistic career, exhibiting widely in Europe and the U.S., producing both non objective and figurative works, including notable collages. After resigning as director in 1952 due to differences with Guggenheim’s nephew, she remained involved as director emeritus. Following her death in 1967, her estate, including works by Kandinsky, Klee, and Schwitters, was donated to the museum.
