Amie KeeleyIT has taken two years and cost more that 11 million euros to rebuild the sixteenth century Villalon Palace.
Now, the most exciting new art museum to open in Spain for a decade is ready to throw open its doors.
The brand new Carmen Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum is set to open in the impressive palace in Malaga on March 24.
The Andalucian arm of the main Madrid museum, it will showcase 230 works from the Spanish baroness Carmen Thyssen’s own private collection.
As well as famous works by Spanish artists Joaquin Sorolla, Joan Mirò, and Picasso, it will be dedicated in particular to Andalucian painters.
The Baroness, also known as Tita Cervera, has been overseeing the building of the museum, which was granted permission to open in 2009.
She has pledged to show the pieces from her collection in Malaga until 2025.
One of the highlights is a piece by Francisco Zurbaran, a Spanish painter best known for still life and religious paintings of monks, nuns and martyrs.
The Baroness says the museum will also host temporary exhibitions of work by French artists such as Degas or Gauguin, which will come from the collection currently housed in the main Thyssen museum in Madrid.
Paintings by Vincent Van Gogh, including his famous Moulin de la Galette, are also said to be among the exhibits.
“The museum is going to be spectacular,” said the Baroness when she visited the site recently.
Most of the paintings come from her ex-husband Baron Thyssen-Bornemisza’s art collection started in the 1920s and continued by his son after his death.
The Mayor of Malaga, Francisco de la Torre, will open the museum alongside the Baroness and entrance will be free for the first three days.
I visited this gallery in January 2012. I was very much looking forward to the visit as I thought the gallery in Madrid was splendid. I was very disappointed with the works on display and thought the tempoary exhibition was an ego trip for both artist and Baroness.
I will be telling others not to bother to visit.
Dear Sir,
I am an Abstract Artist and will be visiting Spain next year to do a few Exhibitions, what would be the chances of showing my work for one week in your Gallery.After Richter’s recent sale of a piece for 21millon sterling, my work has been selling very well as Abstract is the way forward.
Many thanks Karl Coates
as regular visitors to the beautiful city of Malaga, we are greatly looking forward to visiting the new gallery during our next visit in May 2013. the building works during our last 2 visits have acted as a real tease for what is to be shown. the location itself is beautiful. we wish you well.
sue & will weston, Londres.
I visited here very recently, and was overjoyed at the permanent collection .
It is beautifully laid out and the display easy to take in. Found the experience uplifting , joyful and very exciting . A wonderful collection . I will most certainly come back..