Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, Madrid, Spain

The Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum is an art museum in Madrid, located near the Prado Museum on one of city's main boulevards. It is known as part of the 'Golden Triangle of Art', which also includes the Prado and the Reina Sofia national galleries. The Thyssen-Bornemisza fills the historical gaps in its counterparts' collections: in the Prado's case this includes Italian primitives and works from the English, Dutch and German schools, while in the case of the Reina Sofia it concerns Impressionists, Expressionists, and European and American paintings from the 20th century.

The collection was started in the 1920s as a private collection by Heinrich, Baron Thyssen-Bornemisza de Kászon. In a reversal of the movement of European paintings to the US during this period, one of the elder Baron's sources was the collections of American millionaires coping with the Great Depression and inheritance taxes. In this way he acquired old master paintings such as Ghirlandaio's portrait of Giovanna Tornabuoni and Carpaccio's Knight. The collection was later expanded by Heinrich's son Baron Hans Heinrich Thyssen-Bornemisza (1921–2002), who assembled most of the works from his relatives' collections and proceeded to acquire large numbers of new works (from Gothic art to Lucien Freud).

The Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum officially opened in 1992.

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User Reviews

Dylan Zambrano (2 years ago)
An unforgettable experience. The building is precious, right at the center of Madrid in a sunny day you can enjoy every corner of this place. The history and the art that hangs in the walls are priceless. The beauty of every painting is complemented with a great space, amazing stuff and soft lighting that will transport you straight to America in the 80’s or a canal in Venice, or maybe a garden where Monet will ensure you never want to leave. This is the best museum I have ever been, not only for the art but for how comfortable and easy is to move around. I paid £18 with £5 towards the audioguide. Worth every penny.

Paul S (2 years ago)
The Museum is for the most part a collection of old world classical European paintings. Not my cup of tea. A total bore. I prefer the Reina Sofia Museum with a wider array of older and modern painting exhibitions and artistic presentations. That being said, the Alex Katz modern art temporary exhibition was absolutely superb. I’d recommend visiting the museum only for this reason alone.

Anastasiia (2 years ago)
I really advise to visit this museum when you are in Madrid. The collection is stunning and diverse. There are also some paintings of impressionists - so you cannot miss it! We bought tickets online beforehand but there was no queue when we came.

Irwin Mier (2 years ago)
The museum has an impressive collection of European art that spans centuries. You get medieval religious artwork, Renaissance artists, baroque painters, and even Impressionism and modern art. Art from all over Europe in this museum stems from Italian Renaissance painters, Dutch golden age artwork, Flemish artists, to famous Spanish artists. There really is a wide range to see here. Best of all, photos are allowed!

R S (2 years ago)
A superb museum. This is a collection that ranges all the way through a really long period of time, inclusive of medieval art, the Renaissance, and through to modern art. It also tells the story very well. It was a pleasure to walk these galleries and see some genuine masterpieces in the collection. Facilities are great. Good toilets, good outdoor café, and interesting temporary exhibitions too that compliment the permanent collection. Cannot recommend enough and out of the ‘Big 3’ museums in Madrid, this is only second behind the Reina Sofia and a significantly better experience than the Prado.

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