The Apotheosis of Hercules<\/em>, 1765 by Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo, son of Giovanni B. Tiepolo<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nVilla Favorita became too small for Hans’ growing collection and, when the Spanish government offered the Villahermosa Palace (opposite The Prado Museum) to house all of his art, Hans was convinced that permanently displaying the masterpieces in Madrid offered the rarest opportunity — and coincidentally (or perhaps not) Hans’ wife, Carmen Cervera, was Spanish. Though far less crowded than The Prado, the Thyssen Museum also displays fine work by the greatest Spanish masters, such as Francisco de Zurbar\u00e1n and Bartolome Esteban Murillo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n <\/figure>\n\n\n\n <\/figure>\n\n\n\n <\/figure>\n\n\n\n <\/figure>\n\n\n\n <\/figure>\n\n\n\n <\/figure>\n\n\n\n <\/figure>\n\n\n\n <\/figure>\nAbove, portraits by Rubens (top row left) & Ghirlandaio (top row right); Zurbar\u00e1n, van Dyck & Murillo (middle row); from 1642-43 (above left) Self-portrait Wearing a Hat & Two Chains<\/em> by Rembrandt and from 1828 (above right) Expulsion, Moon & Firelight<\/em> by Thomas Cole<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nA Fantastic Collection of German Expressionism at the Thyssen Museum<\/h2>\n\n\n\n The Thyssen opened in 1992, displaying 715 works of art. Nevertheless, Hans and Carmen continued to build the collection, and in 1993 the Spanish State bought 775 pieces for $350 million. In 1999, Carmen loaned over 400 works from her personal collection of art to the Thyssen Museum.<\/p>\n\n\n
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A View of the Opera and Unter den Linden<\/em>, Berlin, 1845 (above) by Eduard Gaertner<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nWhile Hans had an interest in collecting art from the Gothic style of painting to the 20th Century, Carmen possesses a keen eye for landscapes. Carmen’s collection has introduced Impressionist and Post-Impressionist masterpieces to the Madrid art scene, as well as avant-garde movements such as Fauvism, Cubism, Italian Futurism, Russian Constructivism and Surrealism. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n <\/figure>\n\n\n\n <\/figure>\nStudy for the Language of Verticals<\/em>, 1911 by Franti\u0161ek Kupka and Dream Caused by the Flight of a Bee Around a Pomegranate a Second Before Waking<\/em>, 1944 by Salvador Dal\u00ed<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Curv\u00e1ndose Bay<\/em>, 1914 (center) by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner flanked by Beckmann (left) & Nolde (right)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n <\/figure>\n\n\n\n <\/figure>\nLandscape (above left) by Maurice de Vlaminck & Child & Doll<\/em>, 1910 by Alexej von Jawlensky<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nThe dialogue created by artists active in different countries, such as France and Germany, makes the Thyssen an especially important destination for art lovers.<\/p>\n\n\n
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At the Milliner’s<\/em>, 1882 (above) by Edgar Degas<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n
Woman with a Parasol in the Garden<\/em>, 1875 (above) by Pierre-Auguste Renoir <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n <\/figure>\n\n\n\n <\/figure>\nThe Schoenberg Seen from Hoisernradalpe<\/em>, 1833 (above left) and Bad Ischl<\/em>, 1833 by Ferdinand Georg Waldm\u00fcller<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
The Artist’s Granddaughter with the Governess, Wannsee Garden<\/em>, 1923 by Max Liebermann<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n <\/figure>\n\n\n\n <\/figure>\nStill Life<\/em>, 1913 (above left) by Alexandra Exter and Rue Saint-Honor\u00e9 in the Afternoon. Effect of Rain<\/em>, 1897 (above right) by Camille Pissarro<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Flower Vase<\/em>, 1880s (above) by Wilhelm Tr\u00fcbner<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n
Swaying Dancer (Dancer in Green)<\/em>, 1877-79 (above) by Edgar Degas<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n
Red Clouds<\/em>, a watercolor painted in Seeb\u00fcll during the 1930s (above) by Emil Nolde<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nThe Thyssen’s collection of German Expressionist art is exceptional and broad — including high-quality works of art (shown below, from left to right) by Beckmann, Nolde and Kirchner. Additional paintings by M\u00fcnter, Kandinsky, Marc, Macke, Jawlensky, Schmidt-Rottluff, Pechstein, Heckel, Grosz, Schad and Dix expand one’s understand of German modernism.<\/p>\n\n\n
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The Little House<\/em>, 1906 (above) by Karl Schmidt-Rottluff. Beckmann’s 1932-34 painting of his wife (below left) & Kirchner’s 1910 depiction of a girl (below right)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n <\/figure>\n\n\n\n <\/figure>\n\n\n\n <\/figure>\n\n\n\n <\/figure>\n\n\n\n <\/figure>\n\n\n\n <\/figure>\n\n\n\n <\/figure>\n\n\n\n <\/figure>\nThe Thyssen possesses the finest collection of German modernism outside of Germany: cityscapes by Wassily Kandinsky (above left) and by Gabriele M\u00fcnter (right)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nAn Excellent Selection of American Art<\/h2>\n\n\n\n While it is true that Carmen Thyssen-Bornemisza was introduced to collecting art by her husband, and she alone chose the salmon-pink color adorning the museum’s walls, Carmen’s contributions to the art world are far more substantive. One example of Carmen’s sharp eye may be found in the Thyssen’s holdings of 18th-, 19th- and 20th-century paintings by artists from the United States. <\/p>\n\n\n
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In the Park. A By-path<\/em>, 1889 (above) by William Merritt Chase in the Thyssen’s permanent collection<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n <\/figure>\n\n\n\n <\/figure>\nWaverly Oaks<\/em>, 1864 (above left) by Winslow Homer and Wet Day, Columbus Avenue, Boston<\/em>, 1885 (above right) by Childe Hassam<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nGallow’s Island, Bermuda<\/em>, 1899-1901 (above) by Winslow Homer<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nWorks by the greatest American painters were appreciated by both Hans and Carmen, and Carmen continued to acquire important works even after Hans passed away in 2002. You will find numerous paintings by John Singleton Copley, Winslow Homer, John Singer Sargent, Georgia O’Keeffe, Edward Hopper and Jackson Pollock at the Thyssen, and we personally admire Carmen’s interest in landscapes and seascapes from equally talented Americans such as Francis A. Silva, Alfred Thompson Bricher, Martin Johnson Heade, John Henry Twachtman, Frederic E. Church, Childe Hassam, Albert Bierstadt and William Merritt Chase. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n <\/figure>\n\n\n\n <\/figure>\n\n\n\n <\/figure>\n\n\n\n <\/figure>\n\n\n\n <\/figure>\n\n\n\n <\/figure>\n\n\n\n <\/figure>\n\n\n\n <\/figure>\n\n\n\n <\/figure>\n\n\n\n <\/figure>\nThe Marshes at Rhode Island<\/em>, 1866 (above) was acquired by Carmen Thyssen-Bornemisza even though its painter, Martin Johnson Heade, was completely forgotten by the art world when he passed away in Florida in 1904.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nRenoir, Monet, Pissarro, Degas & van Gogh Courted Carmen’s Eyes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n Visiting the Thyssen offers the viewer a wonderful, carefree ride through eight centuries of Western art, without being exhaustive. While grand museums like the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York offer a deep, encyclopedic view of art history, the Thyssen merely presents the highlights — in sublime fashion! <\/p>\n\n\n\n
A relaxing stroll through the Thyssen’s galleries is at first a mini-course in 14th and 15th Century Italian paintings; followed by early Flemish and Dutch masters (van Eyck, David, van der Weyden, Memling); amazing portraits from the 15th Century; then Carpaccio, Durer, Caravaggio and Rubens guide you through the 1500s and into the 1600s; leading up to an intensive study of genre and landscape art — two types of paintings that were enormously popular in the 17th Century Dutch school, influential for Americans in the 19th Century, inspirational for Romanticists such as Friedrich and, later, for Degas, Monet, Gauguin and others. They are all here for your pleasure. This trajectory through centuries of European & Western art logically culminates with Carmen’s obvious admiration for “vedute” — paintings of a city or place so faithfully executed that the location is easily identified — and her love for landscape art in general. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n <\/figure>\n\n\n\n <\/figure>\n\n\n\n <\/figure>\n\n\n\n <\/figure>\n\n\n\n <\/figure>\n\n\n\n <\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Many visitors to the Thyssen Museum walk by Watermill at Gennep<\/em>, 1884 (above) without realizing that this large canvas was painted by Vincent van Gogh.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nOur Choice for the Best Museum in Spain is the Museo Thyssen<\/h2>\n\n\n\n Yes, the Prado Museum contains the most comprehensive display of great artists who painted in Spain (with Goya, El Greco and Vel\u00e1zquez leading the way). The Prado also possesses amazing holdings by Titian and Bosch, while the Museo Reina Sofia is the best place in Madrid to appreciate works by Picasso, Mir\u00f3 and Dal\u00ed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Thyssen provides a broader experience and completes the larger picture of Western art by filling in all the historical gaps missing from collections housed at The Prado and the Reina Sofia. We encourage you to visit The Prado, and we hope you will agree that the Thyssen’s collection shines brightest in areas which are underrepresented at The Prado, including Italian primitives from the 14th Century, and paintings from the Netherlandish, British and German schools. Additionally, the Thyssen will delight you with fine examples of Impressionist, Expressionist, Russian, and 19th-century American art, plus high-quality special exhibitions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n <\/figure>\n\n\n\n <\/figure>\n\n\n\n <\/figure>\n\n\n\n <\/figure>\n\n\n\n <\/figure>\n\n\n\n <\/figure>\n\n\n\n <\/figure>\nChrist on the Cross<\/em>, ca. 1630 (top row, left) by Francisco de Zurbar\u00e1n; middle row: New York Street with Moon<\/em>, 1925 by Georgia O’Keeffe (left) & Fishing<\/em>, 1909 by Natalia Goncharova (right); Portrait of Helena de Kay<\/em>, ca. 1872 (above) by Winslow Homer<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nSpecial Exhibitions at the Thyssen Museum<\/h2>\n\n\n\n The Thyssen presented an excellent retrospective entitled “Lucian Freud: New Perspectives” — a solo devoted to Freud (1922 — 2011), an outstanding figurative painter who was born in Berlin and emigrated to London with his family in 1933. This exhibition closed on June 18, 2023. Lucian Freud, the grandson of Sigmund Freud, concentrated on the portrayal of human beings using oil on canvas, and his body of work is linked to the “School of London,” a group of figurative artists based in the British capital which included Francis Bacon.<\/p>\n\n\n
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The Girl with a White Dog<\/em>, 1951 by Lucian Freud<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n
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Reflection with Two Children (Self-Portrait),<\/em> 1965<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n
The Painter’s Room, <\/em>1944<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n <\/figure>\n\n\n\n <\/figure>\nHead of a Girl, <\/em>1962 (above left) and Girl in a Green Dress, <\/em>1954<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Michael Andrews and June<\/em>, 1965<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n <\/figure>\n\n\n\n <\/figure>\nGuy and Speck<\/em>, 1980<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Leigh in Taffeta Skirt, <\/em>1993<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n
Large Interior, W9<\/em>, 1973<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n <\/figure>\n\n\n\n <\/figure>\nFrancis Bacon (Unfinished)<\/em>, 1956 (left) & Man in a Blue Shirt (Portrait of George Dyer), <\/em>1965<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Naked Man with His Friend, <\/em>1978<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n <\/figure>\n\n\n\n <\/figure>\nDavid Hockney, <\/em>2002 (above left) and Man in a Chair (Baron H.H. Thyssen-Bornemisza)<\/em>, 1985<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Large Interior, Notting Hill, <\/em>1998<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nThe baby in “Large Interior, Notting Hill” (above) is Gabriel Jagger, son of Jerry Hall and Mick Jagger. In this painting, Freud’s assistant David Dawson is shown breastfeeding the baby due to the fact that model Jerry Hall failed to show up for her sessions.<\/p>\n\n\n
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Two Men, <\/em>1987<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n <\/figure>\n\n\n\n <\/figure>\nSleeping by the Lion Carpet, <\/em>1966 (above left) and Large Interior, Paddington, <\/em>1968-69<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Evening in the Studio, <\/em>1993<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n
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And the Bridegroom<\/em>, 1993<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nLucian Freud’s Paintings Speak of Intimacy & Introspection<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Girl with Roses<\/em>, 1947-48<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nThough we at ArtLoversTravel did not enter this display as fans of the painter Lucian Freud, we found this exhibition extremely powerful, even riveting at times, and expertly curated. Freud’s paintings speak of intimacy. Above all, throughout his career, this artist portrayed the people in his closest circle — family, friends, lovers, colleagues in the art world — including his first wife Kitty Garman (above), and his good friend and a major collector of his artwork Lady Jane Willoughby (below). Lucian Freud’s static, frontal portraiture (featuring his painstaking attention to detail in the 1940s and a looser, more expressive technique using thicker brushwork beginning in the 1960s) pays homage to the Renaissance tradition of portraits of power, with their seated subjects revealing introspective attitudes. <\/p>\n\n\n
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Woman in a Fur Coat<\/em>, 1968 by Lucian Freud<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nHistorian Herbert Read defined Freud as “the Ingres of existentialism” due to the skillful atmosphere of malaise and angst pervading his art. Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, however, idealized and beautified the sitters for his portraits. Freud’s often unflattering images also pay homage to the straightforward, raw and provocative art of the New Objectivity movement, which depicted reality with a clinical precision achieved through an intimate knowledge of and a dispassionate creative detachment from the subject. The New Objectivity movement essentially ended in Germany with the beginning of the Nazi dictatorship in 1933 (the same year the Freud family fled to London with their 11-year-old son, Lucian). We maintain that Lucian Freud breathed new life into this cult of objectivity by focusing on the hard facts he observed in the lives around him and rendering his figures with precision, dispassion, impartiality and a new matter-of-factness (“Neue Sachlichkeit” in German).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Previous Exhibitions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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