Carmen Laffón spent more than sixty years painting the same handful of things — wicker baskets, sewing machines, wardrobes, the marshes of Doñana — and the Thyssen-Bornemisza's new retrospective, Carmen Laffón. Variaciones, argues that repetition was the whole point. Running from 23 June to 27 September 2026, it's the first major exhibition dedicated to the Seville-born painter and sculptor since her death in 2021.
What it is
Curated by Paula Luengo, the museum's head of exhibitions, the show gathers around 80 works — oils, pastels, charcoals and sculptures dating from the mid-1990s onward — organised not chronologically but by theme. Each section takes one of Laffón's recurring motifs: the Marcelina doll, named after a friend who gave it to her; the cradle; wicker baskets; wardrobes she worked on from 1973 to 2018; and later, more expansive series on the vineyards, whitewash and salt flats around Sanlúcar de Barrameda and Doñana. Laffón trained as a pianist before turning to painting, and the show's title nods to that background — these are, quite literally, variations on a theme.
Laffón was the second woman ever admitted to the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando, and her career moved between Madrid, Seville and Sanlúcar without ever settling fully into any single genre. The still lifes sit alongside near-abstract landscapes of the Coto de Doñana, built from hazy washes of colour that owe as much to Rothko's atmospheric fields as to any Spanish realist tradition.
Why it's worth attending
This is the first major Laffón retrospective since her death in 2021, and it rewards slow looking rather than a quick pass: 77 works tracing single motifs — baskets, wardrobes, the Doñana marshland — through decades of variation. The domestic still lifes are the strongest reason to go; pieces like Canasta con ropa blanca carry an intimacy that doesn't photograph well but stays with you. The landscape rooms come close behind, especially the Coto section, where Laffón's views of the Guadalquivir estuary turn increasingly abstract by the 2010s, and La sal, her last series on the Bonanza salt flats.
Practical info
Dates: 23 June – 27 September 2026. Standard admission is €14, with a €10 reduced rate for students, over-65s and pensioners. Free entry on Saturdays from 21:00 to 23:00 as part of the museum's Noches Thyssen initiative. Opening hours run Tuesday to Sunday 10:00–19:00 (extended to 21:00 on weekdays and 23:00 on Saturdays during the summer schedule from 1 July to 31 August); closed Mondays. Nearest metro: Banco de España or Sevilla (both line 2).
FAQ
Do I need a separate ticket for this exhibition?
No — general admission to the Thyssen-Bornemisza includes access to the temporary exhibition alongside the permanent collection.
Is the exhibition chronological?
No, it's organised thematically around recurring motifs in Laffón's work — baskets, wardrobes, the Marcelina doll, landscapes — rather than by date.
How long does a visit take?
Around 60 to 90 minutes for the temporary exhibition alone; longer if combined with the permanent collection.
Are there guided tours?
Yes, the museum runs guided tours of the exhibition on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays; check the official site for specific dates.
Is the museum free at any point?
Saturdays from 21:00 to 23:00 offer free access thanks to the Noches Thyssen initiative, and the permanent collection has separate free access windows on Mondays.
