Freud’s 1938 Debut Painting Returns in Peggy Guggenheim Exhibition

In a compelling return to the origins of British modernism, the first painting Lucian Freud ever exhibited will be one of the highlights in a major exhibition celebrating the legacy of Peggy Guggenheim. The show, Peggy Guggenheim in London: The Making of a Collector, is set to open at the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice on April 25, 2026, and will later travel to the Royal Academy in London on November 21, 2026.

Freud’s early work, created in his late teens, was first shown at Guggenheim Jeune, the London gallery Guggenheim opened in 1938 on Cork Street. Though the gallery remained open for only 18 months, its influence on the development of contemporary art in Britain was profound. Guggenheim took extraordinary risks at a time of great political and cultural uncertainty, championing emerging and experimental artists before the mainstream caught on.

Among the more than 100 works featured in the exhibition, Freud’s piece represents a powerful symbol of her foresight. At just 17 years old, he found support and visibility at a moment when few others would have given him space. Guggenheim Jeune introduced British audiences to the work of Jean Arp, Yves Tanguy, Henry Moore, and a young Freud, marking a turning point in the London art world just before the outbreak of World War II.

Curator Grazina Subelyte, who is organizing the show alongside the team in Venice, emphasized the focus on Guggenheim’s personal role in shaping the course of contemporary art in Britain. She explained that the exhibition is dedicated to telling the story of how Guggenheim brought modern art into public consciousness in a city that was only beginning to open its eyes to the avant-garde.

The exhibition aims to reconstruct the atmosphere of London in the late 1930s and remind viewers that even the most fleeting efforts can have lasting echoes. For audiences familiar with Freud as one of the titans of British painting, seeing his earliest work in the context of Guggenheim’s belief in him offers a rare moment of reflection.

This is not just a retrospective of Guggenheim’s collecting; it is a testament to what happens when someone dares to look ahead rather than follow behind. The brief life of Guggenheim Jeune may have ended quickly, but its legacy continues to shape the story of art in Britain and beyond.