Municipal Gallery of Athens - an art spot in the heart of Athens
After World War II the Collection was housed in the Cultural Centre of the Municipality of Athens, on Acadimias Street. In 1982 was relocated on Koumoundourou Square in a charming neoclassical building by architect Panagis Kalkos (the same architect that drawn the Athens City-Hall) in 1874.
Since 2010 the Municipal Gallery of Athens is housed in a neoclassical building in Metaxourgeio. The building was originally the silk factory designed in 1833 by Danish architect Christian Hansen, becoming one of the oldest classics of Athens. The district of Metaxourgio was named after the factory because metaxi is the Greek word for silk.
The collection offers a cross-section of modern Greek art from the interwar period.
The Municipality of Athens began to assemble its artist collection in 1923. The first art work it bought was the sculpture by D. Philippotis, The Fisherman, and it is interesting to note that half of the 2,355 works of art which the Gallery counts among its collection, were acquired during the period 1930-1940.
D. Philippotis, "The Fisherman" (copy), as the rest of the art works represented a break with mainstream artistic tradition when they were initially added to the collection.
Must-see: the series of portraits of Athens mayors by prominent Greek artists and sketches of Athenian landmarks.
The gallery's collections feature the visual works of 3,000 artists - most of them Greek, with few exceptions - which are representative of the trends, foreign influences and fruitful discussions which have marked the journey of Greek art.
Almost all of the Greek artists who represent milestones in Greek visual creation and contributed to the formation of 20th century modern Greek art are represented by significant works in the Gallery's collection.
Fotis Kontoglou – Laocoon
G. Velissaridis – The red caique
Among its most interesting features are:
- the collection of engravings, with works by the great masters of this art and their worthy followers,
- the full representation of the generation of artists of the '30s;
- the collection of works by the famous architect, Ziller, among them 56 drawings of the National Theatre, the Municipal Theatre, as well as of private homes;
- the landscape paintings of archaeological sites by Vikentios Lantsas;
- the portraits of Mayors and Presidents of Municipal Councils of Athens painted by masters of the style (Nikolaos Lytras, George Bouzianis, Yiannis Moralis, Spyridon Prosalentis, Dionysios Tsokos, Georgios Jakobides, Angelos Giallinas).
Must-see: the series of portraits of Athens mayors by prominent Greek artists and sketches of Athenian landmarks.
Athens Municipal Art Gallery
Leonidiou and Millierou Str.
Τ.Κ. 104 36, Athens, Greece
Telephone: +30 210 5202420
Website: http://www.athensmuseums.net/museum.php?id=25&lang=en
OPENING HOURS
Tuesday - Saturday 11:00-19:00
Sunday 10:00-16:00
Monday Closed
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