"The collection of works housed in this 18th-century palace represent the lifetime pastime of Swiss collector Heinrich Thyssen-Bornemisza and his Spanish wife Carmen. While Heinrich and his German father August focused on everything from the Gothic period to major Dutch works of the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries, Carmen's collection brings in significant Modern American, Expressionist, and Impressionist works, making the museum a wonderful survey of art through the centuries—certainly the most complete in Spain. Though it's now owned by the Spanish state, it still retains the feel of a private family collection with artwork displayed on salmon pink walls, as dictated by Carmen herself."