Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum vs Reina Sofia Museum
I'm planning my first visit to Madrid and, as expected, I'll have to save many of the places I initially planned to visit for future trips. Unfortunately, I only have four days.
Some places, like the Prado Museum or the Royal Palace, are already on my list, but if you had to choose between the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum and the Reina Sofia Museum, which one would you pick?
Hi Julia, the question you pose is a tough one.
These are two museums that can't really be compared, as they house completely different art collections. The Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum's collection is spectacular, but in my humble opinion, none of its works can surpass the importance of Picasso's Guernica, which is displayed at the Reina Sofia Museum.
The works exhibited at the Reina Sofia Museum are mostly related to 20th-century modern art. Meanwhile, the pieces at the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum somewhat align with what you might find at the Prado Museum, with the difference being that the latter focuses on Italian Renaissance paintings and works by Spanish painters from all periods. At the Thyssen-Bornemisza, you can discover works by Rubens, Rembrandt, Degas, Manet, Vincent van Gogh, Gauguin, Cézanne, along with some pieces by El Greco, Caravaggio, Salvador Dalí, or Pablo Picasso.
I hope this clarifies things a bit, but the final decision depends on your tastes. Either one you choose is a great option.
Best regards.
The Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum's collection is incredibly comprehensive, undoubtedly the best private art collection in the world. However, for me, none of its paintings convey the same emotion as Picasso's Guernica. That's why I'd suggest that if you have to choose, visit the Reina Sofia Museum. Picasso's Guernica is a painting you must see at least once in your lifetime. I'm sure it won't disappoint you.
Picasso painted the piece to denounce the atrocities that occurred in the town of Guernica in 1937, when Franco's allied planes carried out an unjustified bombing solely to instill terror among the civilian population. For this reason, even though the style is cubist, Picasso did not use vibrant colors or happy shapes. It is painted in black, white, and grays, depicting twisted figures, dying horses, mothers with dead children... Everything is chaos, anguish, pure symbolism.
I suppose you know it was displayed for many years at the MoMA in New York because Picasso requested it not return to Spain until Franco's dictatorship fell. It didn't reach the Reina Sofia Museum in Madrid until 1981.
But why see it in person? Because viewing Guernica is not just seeing a painting, it's experiencing something profound. Photos don't capture its scale; standing in front of it, you are enveloped by it. You feel the pain in every brushstroke; it's a magnet for reflection. Every time you look at it, you discover something new: a hidden tear, a raised fist... Even the horse that seems to scream!
