Carmen has excellent taste.

Today I visited the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza, the third in the "triangle" along the Paseo del Prado. My favorite by a long country mile, although I haven't seen any of the Baron's collection yet, his wife has been collecting more recently, and WOW! does she have good taste. Her acquisitions required a new wing, and I spent about five hours in it... and still had to walk past the always-entertaining Franz Hals (and plenty others). What's intriguing about this collection is the specific works that she was able to aquire; all the names in the text books, certainly, but an early work, or for whatever reason, a work that does not fit with the stereotype of what is generally recognized by that artist. Cases in point:

A Goya that does not look like a paranoid nightmare, "Asensio Julià", c. 1798.

An Edvard Munch, "Evening", 1888 -- a very tranquil, pastoral sort of scene.

Even a Max Beckmann that I liked, still a bit fascist looking but quite evocative -- "Leave Taking", 1942.

An Edward Hopper that I totally would not have guessed was by him -- "The 'Martha McKeen' of Wellfleet", 1944. I might have thought Bellows, perhaps, but then the way Hopper constructs his figures is right there. Of course!

And a very uncharacteristic Kandinsky... "Murnau, Houses in the Obermarkt", 1908. Beautiful! I had to sit in front of that one for a very long time.

And, much as I do like Matisse generally, there was one painting at which I had to sit down and weep; "Conversation Under the Olive Trees", 1921. I don't know why. Perhaps pure exhaustion!

I could go on and on and on... and just about the unusual aspects of her collection. This is my new favorite museum. Carmen's collection is stunning. And enormous. And I'll have to go back tomorrow. Regrettably, no photos allowed here, but I did get one contraband shot before being reprimanded. I don't think Rembrandt would mind.

Oh, P.S. The Baron bought the Rembrandt... I just realized I did walk through a few rooms of his collection before I reached hers.