Baron Thyssen-Bornemisza Centenary

On 13 April 2021 it will be 100 years since Hans Heinrich Thyssen-Bornemisza (1921−2002) was born. The baron inherited his father’s collection in 1947, completed it by acquiring further classic masterpieces, and began assembling one of the finest private collections of nineteenth- and twentieth-century painting in 1961. Concerned with preserving his collection intact and sharing it with as many people as possible, in 1988 he made a pledge to lend 775 works to the Spanish state and five years later signed a sale agreement.

All the centenary activities pay tribute to the baron, to whom the museum wishes to thank for his decisive contribution to culturally enriching our country and sharing with visitors – both in person and virtual – the conviction that art can change the world and make people freer.