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Regarded by many critics as the most important privately assembled art collection in the world, the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza illustrates the history of Western art, from European primitives through to 20th-century works. The museum’s collection, consisting of more than 1,000 paintings, includes masterpieces by Goya, Van Gogh and Picasso.
t A pink-hued gallery inside the 18th-century Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza
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t Venus y Cupido, an expressive piece by Flemish painter Peter Paul Rubens
This magnificent museum is based on the collection assembled by Baron Heinrich Thyssen-Bornemisza and his son, Hans Heinrich. In 1992 it was installed in Madrid’s 18th-century Villahermosa Palace, and was sold to the nation the following year. A collection of mainly Impressionist art acquired by Carmen Thyssen, Hans Heinrich’s wife, opened to the public in 2004. The museum’s galleries are arranged around a central courtyard. The top floor exhibits early Italian art through to 17th century works, while the first floor continues with 17th-century Dutch art and German Expressionism. The ground floor displays 20th-century paintings.
Did You Know?
Baron Thyssen-Bornemisza originally housed his collection in his mansion in Lugano, Switzerland.
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Museum Highlights
Portrait of Giovanna degli Albizzi Tornabuoni (1489–90)
A symbolic painting by Domenico Ghirlandaio.
Les Vessenots in Auvers (1890)
A painting of old country cottages by Van Gogh.
Venus y Cupido (1606–11)
Peter Paul Rubens’ depiction of a reflection of ideal beauty.
The Grand Canal From San Vio, Venice (c 1723–24)
This Canaletto painting is prized for its topographic accuracy.
Swaying Dancer (1877–79)
Degas conveys the ballerina’s movement.