Chronology of the agreement with Carmen Thyssen: two decades of disagreements with 10 ministers


The rental firm from the collection carmen thyssen-Bornemisza this Wednesday in Madrid puts an end to a process that began in 1999 with the arrival of his collection in Spain, an extensive negotiation, in which ten Ministers of Culture have participated and which has been dotted with disagreements.

The Carmen Thyssen collection emerges as a continuation of the Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection started by the baron's father, her husband, at the beginning of the 20th century.

Part of the paintings that make up the collection -some eight hundred works in total- were inherited from her husband that before selling his collection to Spain he divided part of the collection between his children and his wife.

The main core of the Carmen Thyssen Collection It is the Dutch painting of the 17th century, the Vedutismo of the 18th century, the naturalistic landscaping of the 19th, the impressionism, the post-impressionism and the first avant-gardes of the 20th century, with special emphasis on German expressionism, without forgetting the presence of the Spanish painting of the 19th and early 20th centuries, with which the Baroness has enriched her collection in the last decade.

The collection arrived in Spain as a free transfer of ten years, although the objective of the government was to buy it, as happened with her husband's, which is from the State and has the most important works in the Madrid museum.

In order to seize it, the Government carried out a costly expansion of the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museumbought two outbuildings in an operation that involved an outlay of €38 million and gained 8,300 square meters of space.

Former President Mariano Rajoy was the then Minister of Culture. The initial agreement included about 800 paintingswhich have been reduced to 329 in the agreement that was signed today.

In these two decades, the baroness has been opening other museums: the one in Malaga, the one in Andorra and the one in Sant Feliu de Guisols (Girona), which will open in 2023 and has sold some important works such as 'The Lock' by John Constable.

Ten - eleven if you count to Maxim Huerta- have been the culture ministers who have passed through the position during this process: Mariano RajoyPilar del Castillo, Carmen Calvo, Cesar Antonio Molina, Ángeles González Sinde, José Ignacio Wert, Íñigo Méndez de Vigo, José Guirao, José Manuel Rodríguez Uribes and, now, miquel iceta.

These are the key dates of this long process

06.03.1999.-The Spanish State and the Thyssen Foundation acquire two buildings adjacent to the Villahermosa Palace in Madrid, to exhibit the private painting collection of Carmen Cervera.

09.30.1999.-The Minister of Education and Culture, Mariano Rajoy, and the Thyssen barons sign the protocol of intentions for the assignment, for eleven years, of the Carmen Thyssen collection.

03.04.2000.-Minister Rajoy, president of the Board of Trustees of the Thyssen Collection Foundation, and the barons sign the agreement by which Carmen Cervera lends her collection to the Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection Foundation for eleven years. The agreement also contemplates the expansion works of the art gallery.

06.08.2004.-The Kings inaugurate the works of extension of the new Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum that houses the Carmen Thyssen Collection.

2004.-Negotiations begin for a possible purchase of the Baroness's collection by the State. There is no agreement and since then, the negotiations continue, but for a rental of it, since Carmen Thyssen decides that her collection remains in her possession and that her heirs decide on its future.

2007.-The baroness signs an agreement with the mayor of Malaga to exhibit in the Villalon Palace 358 works from his collection. A free loan until 2025 on Spanish and Andalusian painting from the 19th century.

02.11.2010.-The baroness offers to extend the loan of her collection for one year free of charge and rejects the offer of the culture Ministry rental of the collection for two years for a fixed amount based on the calculation established for the rental of the Baron's collection before it was purchased in 1993.

02.22.2011.-The term of eleven years of free loan of the Carmen Cervera collection ends and the free transfer formula for a year.

03.24.2011.-The Palacio de Villalón in Málaga hosts on free loan a collection of 236 works from the Carmen Cervera collection, until 2025.

02.20.2012.-Carmen Thyssen extends another year the free assignment from his private collection.

03.07.2012.-The painting 'The Lock' by John Constable It is being sold at auction in London for 22.4 million pounds (27.89 million euros/35.1 million dollars). The sale of this painting is equivalent to less than 5% of the total value of the set. Under the terms of the loan agreement, the Baroness has the right to sell 10% of the value of the collection.

00.02. 2015.-Last year that the extension of the loan of the Carmen Cervera collection is made by twelve months.

04.03.2016.-The Baroness and the Ministry of Culture renew the free transfer of the collection for six months.

01.31.2017.-The Ministry of Culture and Carmen Thyssen agree to extend the transfer of the collection for three months.

03.13.2017.-The Carmen Thyssen Museum of Andorra, the first international headquarters, is inaugurated on the ground floor of the old Hotel Valira.

04.28.2017.-Others are extended 3 months the loan of the Carmen Thyssen collection.

07.12.2017.-New extension of the conditions for transfer of the collection Until december 31.

07.15.2017.-The municipality of Sant Feliu de Guíxols (Girona) agrees with the baroness to open a museum in the Porta Ferrada Monastery with works by Catalan authors.

07.12. 2017.-New extension on the conditions for the transfer of the collection until July 31, 2018.

09.2020.-After several extensions of the transfer of the collection of three and six months the conditions are renewed until December 31 -another three months-.

04.2020.-In full state of alarm by covid-19 the painting leaves the museum 'Mata Mua' (once upon a time) by Paul Gauguin, one of the most important in the collection, as well as "Charing Cross Bridge" by Monet; "Wellflet's Martha McKeen" by Hopper and "Race Horses" by Degas. 01.10.2020.- The State guarantee for the Baroness's works is extended for one month, a safeguard that does not include Gauguin's "Mata Mua".

01.29.2021.-The Ministry of Culture and Carmen Thyssen close a rental agreement for the collection that includes the painting 'Mata Mua' and a rental period of 15 years for a total of 6.5 million euros per year.

03.24.2021.- While points of the agreement are finalized, the Ministry of Culture extends three months -until June 30th- the State guarantee of the Baroness's collection.

05.28.2021.- Carmen Thyssen and the Government extend one month, until June 30, the limit of the signing of the rental contract From the Baroness's collection.

06.28.2021.- The Government and Carmen Thyssen agree on a new extension, without specifying the date of completion of the postponement to sign the rental agreement for your collection.

07.13.2021.- The Council of Ministers gives the green light to the Royal Decree with which the State is authorized to sign the rental contract for the collection.

07.21.2021.- The Congress approves the Royal Decree-Law that regulates the leasing of collections of real estate that are part of the Spanish Historical Heritage by certain entities of the public sector, a rule that makes it possible to formalize the leasing of the pictorial set of the baroness to the collection to the Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection Foundation.

03.08.2021.-The Council of Ministers approves the rental contract for the Carmen Thyssen collection for a period of fifteen yearswith a value of 97.5 million euros (6.5 per year) and with the preferential right of acquisition over all or part of the pictorial ensemble of the Baroness.

12.29.2021.- The State guarantee on the Carmen Thyssen collection is extended until March 31 and pending the sealing of the final agreement rental of the work of the baroness.

07.02.2022.- The painting "Mata Mua" by Paul Gauguin returns to the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum. From Andorra, where it was taken in 2020. The 'Mata Mua' is the most important piece in the Carmen Thyssen collection and the center piece of the agreement between Carmen Thyssen and the Government.



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