English
In an impressive Neo-classic building from the 18th century, between the Ritz and Palace hotels, in the middle of San Jerónimo and Paseo del Prado – in the elegant Villahermosa Palace (in one of whose rooms it´s said that Franz Liszt gave one of his most memorable concerts) – the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum http://www.museothyssen.org/thyssen/home is one of the most important art galleries in not only Spain but probably the whole of Europe. Along with the prestigious Prado Museum, and the Reina Sofia Museum, it constitutes what has been named the “Madrid Golden Mile,” receiving hundreds of thousands of visitors each year.
The Prado collection – whose main attraction, with exceptions such as Francisco Goya, is its great selection of Renaissance and Baroque art – covers a period which goes from the Medieval to 19th century Spanish painting, whilst the Reina Sofia picks up from this exact moment and takes us through 20th century art, with an extraordinary collection which includes the only Cezanne and Hopper in Madrid, and the likes of Ghirlandaio, Uccello, Durero, Caravaggio, El Greco, Van Gogh, Monet, Gauguin, Chagall, Marc, Klee, Giacometti, Lichtenstein and Beckmann, to name but a few.
With such an impressive quality collection, perhaps the most remarkable thing is the fact that it includes styles of art usually lacking in other Spanish art collections, such as Impressionism, Fauvism, German Expressionism, the Vanguard experimentalism of the early 20th century, and an important group of paintings from 19th century North America – unique in the sphere of European art.
However, the future of the 240 painting strong collection in Madrid could be in danger. They are the pieces belonging to the Carmen Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection, which though also including work by Friedrich, Corot, Pissarro, Van Gogh, Toulouse-Lautrec, Signac, Cross, Derain, Nolde, Braque, Delaunay and Beckmann, specialises in Spanish painting, mainly of Catalan origin, from between the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th, with artists such as Lucas Velázquez, Pérez Villaamil, Haes, Mart i Alsina, Fortuny, Rico, Rusiñol, Casas, Sorolla, Beruete, Regoyos, Zuloaga, Iturrino, Mir, Anglada i Camarasa, Sunyer and Solana.
After the recent tense meeting between the Spanish cultural minister Ángeles González-Sinde and Carmen Thyssen, the vice president and owner of the collection, it was decided that discussions would be put on hold for one more year.
Paul Oilzum
With the wonderful pieces in danger of leaving Madrid, don´t miss your chance to visit when you rent Madrid accommodation
Translated by: Poppy
