[Square] Until Becoming the National Museum

There is a unique art museum in Madrid, Spain. I first encountered this museum long ago during a business trip and instantly fell in love with it. Since then, whenever I visit Madrid, this museum?Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza?has been the first place I head to. This museum was once the second largest private collection after the British Royal Collection. It also holds a fascinating story of how it became a national museum after years of effort.

The German Thyssen family collected artworks over three generations. August Thyssen (1842?1926) amassed wealth through the steel industry. He began the family’s collecting history by acquiring seven works by Rodin. These pieces are still displayed at the museum entrance to honor him as the originator of the collection.

The one who truly built the collection was August’s son, Heinrich Thyssen (1875?1947). By marrying a woman from the Hungarian Bornemisza family, he acquired a noble title, completing the collection’s name. In 1936, he created a gallery in the Villa Favorita palace, which he purchased in Lugano, Ticino, Switzerland.

Heinrich’s son, Hans Heinrich Thyssen (1921?2002), inherited the collection and fortune after his father’s death in 1947. He opened Villa Favorita to the public and worked hard to reunite his father’s collection by repurchasing works that his siblings had put up for auction.

Hans Heinrich continued collecting classical works while adding his own taste, expanding the collection from German Expressionism to 20th-century avant-garde and pop art. As the collection grew, he requested support from Swiss authorities to expand exhibition space. This attracted interest from countries like the UK and Germany, becoming an international issue at the time. Ultimately, influenced by his wife Carmen Cervera, the artworks were transferred to Spain.

In 1988, the Spanish government signed a contract with the Thyssen family to loan 775 pieces from the collection with an option to purchase after five years. The new Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza, completed by remodeling an old palace in Madrid, opened to the public for the first time in October 1992. Eight months later, the Spanish government purchased the loaned works for $350 million, far below their market value, fulfilling their promise.

The cooperation between the Spanish government and the Thyssen family continues to this day. In 1999, Carmen Cervera’s collection was exhibited on a 10-year free loan, and the Spanish government developed new exhibition spaces and facilities to accommodate it. The loan period was extended, and recent negotiations have been made for the state to purchase the works in the future.

In 2017, the Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza was transformed into a national museum, highlighting the active efforts of the state. This year marks the 100th anniversary of Heinrich Thyssen’s birth, and the museum is hosting various projects to honor him. He believed that conflicts arising from politics and ideology could be resolved through the sharing of art. He trusted that art could change the world and liberate people. Now, his spirit has gained eternal vitality in the museum.

The most important aspect of a private collection museum is to remember the collector’s philosophy and passion. Today, we stand at a crossroads with one of the finest collections. If we can honor the collector and share the best works to elevate national prestige, now is the perfect opportunity.

Kim Bora, Director of Seongbuk-gu Art Museum

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.