Although critics claim the Thyssen-Bornemisza’s works vary in quality and offer only a cursory introduction to innumerable painters and periods, I personally find these criticisms unjustified – next to the unusually airy galleries the museum’s scope is its greatest charm. Nevertheless, if you’re interested in seeing comprehensive displays of the work of specific artists or individual famous works the cavernous Prado and Reina Sofia, the other two points on Madrid’s "Art Triangle" will be more to your liking. If you’d prefer a more approachable collection, and a broad introduction to Western art, however, read on…

Baron Thyssen-Bornemisza’s collection is arranged roughly sequentially over three floors, with the earliest works on the highest level (which can be reached by elevator) and modern works on the ground floor, which are arranged according to style rather than in the strictly chronological fashion of the upper two floors. It’s worth renting an audioguide (€5) to make sense of the assemblage, although most paintings are accompanied by labels that provide basic information in both Spanish and English. Tita Cervera’s collections are displayed in separate galleries (located in what were once different buildings) on the upper two floors. This thoughtful design doesn’t disturb the harmony of the Baron’s collections (which were installed here under his supervision) and still allows you to compare the two as paintings from the same period are located in adjacent rooms. Tita’s collections are more heavily geared toward nineteenth and twentieth century art – particularly by non-Spanish artists who are underrepresented in the Prado and Reina Sofia – and consequently make a wonderful addition to the "Art Triangle" as a whole.

Choosing favorites from the collection is entirely a matter of personal taste – its greatest charm may be that there’s literally something for everyone. Although I personally find the display of works by Caravaggio and Ribera, thoughtfully placed together in Rooms 13-15, and the who’s whos of Post-Impressionism (33) and Expressionism (35-37) most compelling, your interests are likely to be different. Indeed one of the collection’s joys is that it confronts you with styles you might seek to ignore in another museum and that it places works by artists of different nationalities together in contrast to their usual segregation – illustrating both points I personally found the assemblage of British, French, and American nineteenth century landscapes in Rooms 29-31 delightful.

Further information: http://www.museothyssen.org

Some of my favorites at the Thyssen are as follows: Monet’s "The Thaw at Vetheuil" (a glorious blue-white winter scene); Degas’ "At the Milliner’s" (I like practically everything by him); Kaspar David Friedrich’s "Easter Morning" (strikingly dim sun shining wanly over almost barren trees); Bramantino’s "The Resurrected Christ" (cadaverous, more realistic resurrected Christ); Ruben’s "The Toilet of Venus" (gorgeous, flesh color and a play on a half-reflection in a mirror); and Carpaccio’s "Young Knight in a Landscape" (a compendium of medieval motifs that serves as the headliner for all of the museum’s publicity).

To a degree, the oft-repeated criticism of this museum as having minor works by major artists and major works by minor artists has some relevance I would say. Van Gogh’s "The Stevedores in Arles" lacks the exciting brushwork and vivid color of most of his other Arles canvasses and Goya’s "Asensio Julia" cannot compete in vibrancy with other portraits of his in the Prado. But Grosz’s "Metropolis 1916-1917," in all its blaring redness, triumphs for me as an expression of a modern big-city claustrophic effect.

On the museum’s website, you can take a virtual tour room by room or check out their 50 Masterpieces section. You can also view some of the landscapes in Carmen’s collection that reflects her belief that landscape art in particular is like travel that takes you to other places and other times.

As a fan of the impressionist, post-impressionist, and early modern styles, the Thyssen-Bornemisza was the Madrid museum I was most looking forward to seeing. But the museum has much more, including 18th century Venetian paintings, Flemish, French, German, Spanish, and Dutch works, and 20th century art.

The collection is arranged in chronological order, so I’m impatient as we walk through the early Renaissance and 16th and 17th century paintings. We keep our eyes open for Caravaggio’s works, but there’s only one on display.

Eventually we reach the impressionist part of the collection, and there’s a lot to admire here. There are several nice pieces by Alfred Sisley, Camille Pissarro, and Claude Monet, and a couple by Edgar Degas and Paul Signac.

The next viewing room contains the post-impressionist collection, and here’s where I spend the most time, as Gauguin, van Gogh, and Toulouse-Lautrec are three of my very favorites. The Thyssen has an incredible collection by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, including the lovely Redhead with white blouse (1889).

While there are only four works by Vincent van Gogh, the collection does span his Dutch, Arles, and Auvers-sur-Oise periods. We saw Landscape at Dusk (Nuenen: 1885), Coal Barges (Arles: 1888), and View of Vessenots Near Auvers (Auvers-sur-Oise: 1990). A fourth said to be in the museum’s collection, Water mill at Gennep (Nuenen: 1884) was not on display. With its vibrant yellows and blues, View of Vessenots near Auvers in particular seems to jump off the wall and outshine the other paintings in the room.

I also enjoyed the various styles in the 20th century collection, which included pieces by Georgia O’Keefe, Marc Chagall, Jackson Pollack, and Edward Hopper. Hopper’s Hotel Room (1931) was my favorite 20th century piece.

If you’re a fan of impressionist, post-impressionist, or 20th century art like myself, a visit to the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza is essential.

Additional information:
Web site: http://www.museothyssen.org/Ingles/index.htm
Metro: Banco de España (L2); Sevilla (L2).
Tel: +34 91 369 01 51
Fax: +34 91 420 27 80

For detailed information on hours/activities/programs/visiting exhibits go to their website: www.museothyssen.org

Also on the 1st floor there are several rooms of paintings from French school of the 17th century and British paintings from 18-19th centuries -- the most notable works are by Reynolds, Gainesborough, Fragonard, Watteau. More of 19th century is represented by Sargeant, Whistler, Delacroix, Goya, Corot, Constable, and Courbet. There is also a very impressive collection of impressionists and post-impressionists: Manet, Pissarro, Monet, Renoir, Sisley, Degas ("Swaying Dancer" is probably the envy of any museum), Toulouse-Lautrec, Gaughin, Bonnard, Van Gogh, and Cezanne are all next door to the expressionism/avant-garde of Kandinsky, von Jawlensky, Goncharova, Larionov, Delaunay, Vlaminck, Braque, Kokoshka, and Dufy.

The main floor continues the various movements of the 20th century almost as a retrospective of the past century. It boasts such names as Mondrian, Leger, Picasso, Braque, Gris, Popova, Kupka, Rozanova, Udaltzova, Chashnik, Suetin, Lissitsky, Filonov, Glebova, Annenkov, Ernst, Klee, Chagall, Matisse, Miro, Pollock, Gorky, O’Keefe, Kooning, Dali, Tanguy, Giacometti, Magritte, and Francis Bacon. At the entrance to the collection on the main floor you can also see Tintoretto’s "Paradise," which looks like a miniature of the wall in Doge’s Palace.

The temporary exhibit that shares the floor with the modern art is "Ribera – The Pieta" (through May 11, 2003), which is free. This is not a large exhibit but it shows the paintings that influenced Ribera’s vision that are on loan here from the National Gallery in London, the Louvre, museums of Rome, Naples, Museo del Prado and led to the painting of his Pieta which belongs to the Museo Thyssen collection. Also here are Ribera’s sketches of Pieta from private collections.

Prices:
Permanent collection 4.80€–adults, 3€–students
Combined ticket for the permanent collection and temporary exhibit 6.60€–adult, 3.60€–student

If you are staying in Madrid just for a day, you have to visit Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza. It is located across the street from Museo del Prado in the 18th century villa and considered the most important privately-assembled art collection in the world, which I really have to agree with.

The collection is truly enormous and it is best to start on the 2nd floor and work your way down to the basement -- this way you will start with the early Renaissance and follow the art through Baroque, Rococo, Realism to the 20th century modern. You can also the paintings of the founders of the museum, Baron Thyssen-Bornemisza.

If you visit Prado first, this collection will be like a great addition to what you’ve just seen. You start with the Italian icons of the 14-15th centuries, then move on to the early Gothic paintings of Van Eyck, della Robbia’s beautiful porcelain statues. The collection of Dutch masters includes works by Memling, van Cleve, and Holbein’s famous portrait of Henry VIII. Next, we see the Italian Renaissance with works by Pietro della Francesca, Rafael, Corregio, Veronese, and Strozzi. Carpaccio’s "Young knight in a landscape" is considered a symbol of this museum and is shown on the cover of all the catalogs. The German school is represented by works of Durer and Cranach the Elder, the most beautiful of which is Cranach’s "Reclining nymph". In other rooms you will find paintings by Murillo, Tiepolo, Teniers, Brueghel, Van Dyck, 4 Rubens paintings the most interesting of which is "The toilet of Venus", Van Loo, Rembrandt’s "Self-portrait", Bronzino, and Titian’s "Portrait of Doge Francesco Venier". You can also see portraits by Holbein and views of Venice by Canaletto.

The first floor has a large collection of 17th-century Dutch paintings that show scenes of daily life, interiors, and landscapes including Metsu, de Hooch, and Teniers, which are really missing from Prado collection.

Continued in Part II

Paseo del Prado, 8

Phone: 91 369 01 51
Open: Tues–Sun 10am–7pm, closed on Mondays, May 1.
No photography allowed.

There is a large bookshop on the main floor to the right of the main entrance.