400 works of art can leave the walls of the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum

The Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum in Madrid found itself in a difficult situation - a lease on a collection owned by 73-year-old Baroness Carmen Cervera, widow of industrial tycoon Hans Heinrich von Thyssen-Bornemisza), who died in 2002, came to an end on Monday, January 30th. The future of the collection, which consists of 429 works, is estimated at 750 million euros and includes works by Monet, Sisley, Renoir, Degas, Gauguin, Rodin, Matisse and Picasso, is in limbo.

Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, Madrid

Cervera threatened to take her collection out of Spain if a new agreement was not reached. The Minister of Education, Sports and Culture of Spain, Inigo Mendes de Vigo (Íñigo Méndez de Vigo) promised that the deal will be concluded before the end of this week.

Most of the works of the collection are stored in the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, in the historic palace of Villahermos. In 1993, the museum acquired 775 works dating from the 13th – 20th centuries from the collection of the Baron, which at that time was considered the largest private art collection in the world. The transaction amount was small - only 350 million US dollars. In 1999, the baron’s personal collection was supplemented by works belonging to his wife Carmen Server, and was leased to the Museum of Madrid for 11 years. When the contract expired, the Baroness invited the Spanish state to purchase her collection, but the deal did not take place. Instead, the lease was renewed again with an agreement to make a final decision in 2016.

Carmen Server expressed a desire to keep the collection for the Spanish people, but at the same time have the opportunity to personally dispose of its part. In 2011, Server opened the second Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum in Malaga, and in March this year plans to open a third in Andorra, where the Baroness has a permanent residence.

Anna Sidorova © Gallerix.ru