Carmen Cervera

Carmen Cervera
Carmen Cervera at the inauguration of Museum Thyssen in Málaga
Born (1943-04-23) 23 April 1943
Barcelona, Spain
Occupation Philanthropist, socialite, art dealer/collector
Known for Miss Spain 1961
Spouse(s)
Lex Barker
(m. 1965–1972)

Espartaco Santoni
(m. 1975; div. 1978)

Children 1
Family Thyssen

María del Carmen Rosario Soledad Cervera y Fernández de la Guerra, Dowager Baroness Thyssen-Bornemisza de Kászon et Impérfalva (German: María del Carmen Rosario Soledad Freifrau von Thyssen-Bornemisza de Kászon; born Barcelona, 23 April 1943), popularly known as Carmen "Tita" Cervera or Carmen "Tita" Thyssen, is a Spanish philanthropist, socialite, and art dealer and collector.

Biography

Cervera was born on 23 April 1943 in Barcelona, the daughter of Enrique Cervera Manent and his wife, María del Carmen Fernández de la Guerra Álvarez (d. Madrid, 22 February 1992).

She was Miss Spain in 1961. She married firstly, as his fifth wife, on 6 March 1965 to Lex Barker, secondly in 1975 to Espartaco Santoni, divorcing in 1978, and thirdly as his fifth wife at Daylesford, Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire, on 16 August 1985, to Baron Hans Heinrich Thyssen-Bornemisza.

None of her marriages had issue, but she had a son born out of wedlock, Alejandro (b. Madrid, 24 July 1980), with Manuel Segura. Hans Heinrich adopted her son, known as Alejandro Borja Thyssen-Bornemisza de Kászon et Impérfalva.[1] As a widow, Carmen Cervera has also adopted two twin baby girls (born in 2007 in United States), called María del Carmen and Guadalupe Sabina in July 2007.

Art collection

Museo Carmen Thyssen (Málaga).

She has been an art collector since the 1980s. Items from her collection can be seen at:

Loans to other museums have been proposed, including a projected arts centre at Nuevo Baztan near Madrid.[2]

In 2012, because of a relative lack of funds,[3] she decided to sell a valuable painting by English artist John Constable, The Lock.[4][5] The painting made a world record price for this artist, as it had done when acquired in 1990.[6]

Criticism

Carmen Cervera was in 2013 and 2016 exposed by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists for using complex offshore structures to gain tax advantages. Her spokesman stressed that she uses tax havens primarily because they give her “maximum flexibility” when she moves art from country to country.[7]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Vanitatis (9 April 2014). "Las revistas de los miércoles". El Confidencial.
  2. ↑ (in Spanish) Díaz de Tuesta, M. José (31/05/2007), Del Thyssen a Nuevo Baztán, El País
  3. ↑ Hastings, Chris (30 June 2012). "Art expert quits museum in fury at £25m Constable sale". London: Daily Mail. Retrieved 2012-07-01.
  4. ↑ Brown, Mark (29 May 2012). "John Constable's The Lock to be sold at auction". London: The Guardian. Retrieved June 23, 2012.
  5. ↑ Garcia, Angeles. "Carmen Cervera: "No soy gastosa. Los ricos también están en crisis"" (in Spanish). Retrieved June 23, 2012.
  6. ↑ "Constable's The Lock sells for £22m". London: Guardian. 4 July 2012. Retrieved July 4, 2012.
  7. ↑ "Secret Files Expose Offshore's Global Impact". International Consortium of Investigative Journalists. 3 April 2013. Retrieved 2013-04-06.
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