The history and origins of the Thyssen-Bornemisza collection tell one of the most fascinating tales of private collecting. Although the collection itself boasted world-wide renown, when the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum opened in October 1992, showcasing the core of the collection together for the very first time, one thing that prompted most admiration was that such a large number of works, and such quality works, had been collected in just two generations. It was, without a doubt, the most important private art collection of the 20th century.