Van Gogh, Picasso, Rubens, Goya, Monet, Renoir, Magritte or Rothko… At the Palacio de Cibeles, headquarters of Madrid’s Town Hall, the exhibition 70 great masters from the Pérez Simón Collectionon view until early 2025, is packed with striking masterpieces from the 16th century to the present day, from El Greco to the American Alex Katz. “ I’ve always wanted to share my work with the public, and that makes me deeply happy. “, explains businessman and art lover Juan Antonio Pérez Simón, who will shortly be opening a museum to house part of his incredible collection. The collection of this discreet octogenarian, who was born in Spain but has spent most of his life in Mexico, includes canvases by all the greatest names in painting. A close friend of Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim, he owns a total of some 4,000 pieces (paintings, sculptures, drawings, manuscripts and decorative arts), a collection that has never before been exhibited in a dedicated museum, although some works have already been loaned around the world.

“ I’ve been lucky enough to be able to put together a large number of works, and I feel I have a responsibility to share them with the public. “, assures Juan Antonio Pérez Simon in a written exchange with AFP. The exhibition precedes the opening of a space dedicated to the businessman’s collection, just a stone’s throw from the city’s three other major art institutions: the Prado Museum, the Reina Sofia Museum and the Thyssen Museum. Details of the project are still under discussion, according to the municipality and the collector, but the museum, which could open in 2025, will house 200 works. Air conditioning, security, transport… Juan Antonio Pérez Simon will cover all costs, according to the city, and the loan will last “ long “, promises the 83-year-old millionaire.

Read the dossier
Vincent Van Gogh: ten days in the life of an artist who changed the perception of the world

“ Not a luxury “

The son of peasants, this native of Asturias (northwest France), whose family left Spain for Mexico when he was five, made his fortune in telecommunications. After studying economics, he became a trader, and then crossed paths with Carlos Slim, now one of the richest men in the world, with whom he formed a partnership. In 2020, in an interview with Paris Match, he compared the Mexican billionaire to his father, Carlos Slim. “ best friend “sound “ brother “.

Juan Antonio Pérez Simon doesn’t talk much about his business affairs, but he’s never at a loss for words when it comes to talking about his collection. At the age of 23, in 1964, he returned to Europe for the first time with eight dollars in his pocket to live on every day: he spent it on tickets for the museums where he admired his works. “ the works of art that had dazzled him in his adolescence “he tells AFP.

“ Art is not a luxury “, assures Pérez Simón. “ Art is within everyone’s reach. When I had no money, I bought reproductions. And when my economic situation improved, I started my own collection. “. “ The pieces I acquired depended on my finances “he insists, while taking care to stress that he has always been driven “ through beauty “ and its “ feelings “ facing the works.

Faithful, he assures us he has never resold a work he had acquired. Even today, “ they ” inhabit all his homes and offices: “ I live with them every day (…), bathrooms and kitchen included. “. For many years, at the foot and head of his bed hung The Ascension of Christ by Dalí and Reclining nude with book by Tamara de Lempicka, two works exhibited at the Palacio de Cibeles. “ My quest for beauty is not yet over “, he says, refusing to talk about his future acquisitions, which he simply hopes will be “ will surprise the public “.