The baroness, her stepdaughter and an oil painting

After a meeting of over an hour at the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum last Wednesday, there was palpable tension between Culture Minister Ángeles González-Sinde, chair of the board of trustees, and Carmen Thyssen, deputy chair and owner of the 240 paintings in dispute. The meeting had been called to discuss the future of the valuable art collection that the widow of the Baron Thyssen lent out temporarily in 2000, free of charge, so it could be admired at the museum together with the work that the Spanish state had previously bought from her late husband.

The Thyssen-Bornemisza is part of Madrid's so-called "golden triangle" of museums (along with the Prado and Reina Sofía) and one of the capital's main tourist draws.

"I've organized 37 exhibitions using my name; why should I stop doing so?"

"The baroness is unreasonable, and completely isolated from reality"

In the end, it was agreed that the Baroness Thyssen, née Carmen Cervera, a former beauty queen who was also married to Tarzan actor Lex Barker, would extend the loan for one more year after the original period expired in late February. "It was the executive's intention to prolong the transfer longer than that, but this was not possible because the baroness requested compensation," said González-Sinde.

It later transpired that the talks were held up over the rights to use the Carmen Thyssen brand, which is a registered trademark in the foundation's name. Although the Culture Ministry can prevent Carmen Cervera from using the brand, previous ministers did not object to her organizing her own art shows under the Carmen Thyssen name. But González-Sinde is refusing to let this go on, which explains why Cervera refused to loan her collection out for two more years and instead agreed to just one.

"I've organized 37 exhibitions using my name inside and outside of Spain. I don't understand why I should stop doing so," said the baroness. Despite the lack of agreement, Cervera does not rule out the possibility of reaching a long-term deal with the government, although she will not say whether she plans to ultimately sell or rent out her collection. Cervera also wishes to sell a painting by John Constable (The Lock), for which she is reported to have been offered 40 million euros.

But, according to another board member, the conflict goes beyond brand names. Cervera - who engaged in a protracted legal battle over the baron's assets with his children from previous marriages - is being accused by one of them, Francesca Thyssen-Bornemisza, of trying to sell off some of her more valuable paintings, a move she claims would devalue the baroness' collection and hurt the museum.

In a letter sent to EL PAÍS, the baron's daughter writes that "I have tried to put an end to this destructive path, in order to make a proposal to her and the ministry that may produce the desired result: a compromise which satisfies and benefits both parties and the family."

Francesca Thyssen proposes conducting an in-depth study of Cervera's collection "to determine which parts are integral, morally, and historically important to the original collection. [...] That will finally give the Patronato [the board of trustees] and the ministry some real ground for negotiations with the Baroness. Her recent desire to deaccession crucial artworks from her collection will seriously impound the [museum's] international reputation. Just putting the whole decision off for another year, and in the meantime allowing her to sell the Constable painting, is more damaging than just admitting now that it is impossible to reach a solution with the baroness, because she is unreasonable, and completely isolated from reality."