National Gallery of Athens
National Gallery of Athens
As of May 14th, 2021, the renovated building at 50 Vassileos Konstantinou Street in Athens reopened its doors to the public. According to Hellenic Culture Minister Lina Mendoni, "The National Gallery's collections constitute a channel of cultural dialogue and valuable heritage of Greece's sweeping history."
"This is the treasury of Greek art of the 19th and 20th Century, that is heavily connected with the evolution of Greek society and the expectations of the Hellenic State since 1830," she declared.
Established on April 10th, 1900, with its early collections stemming from the National Technical University and the University of Athens, the National Gallery is also known as the "Alexandros Soutzos Museum" and houses over 20,000 works of painting, sculpture, engraving, and other forms of art and it is a treasury of Greek artistic creation from the post-Byzantine Period through present day. It owns an extraordinary collection of Western European paintings and is directed by the renowned Professor of the History of Art, Marina Lambraki-Plaka.
The expansion works added 11,040 m² to the existing 9,720, more than doubling the museums' spaces (with 2,230 m² of that designating new exhibition areas where approximately 1,000 pieces from its permanent collection can be displayed – contrasted to just the 400 pre-renovation). Its amphitheater can accommodate up to 450 people, and there are 2 bar-restaurants as well, one with stunning views stretching from Lycabettus Hill and the Acropolis all the way down to the Saronic Gulf.
Photos of the Athens National Gallery
The National Gallery's new profile is modern, dynamic, functional, and especially appealing. The diverse pursuits of the museum (exhibitions, musical events, book publishing, etc.) are funded by sponsorships and donations that range between 60-100%.
Moreover, the Library of the National Gallery at Michalakopoulou Street 1 closed in May 2013, due to the expansion works. It is now housed at its sister venue, the National Glyptotheque, located in the Army Park of Goudi (entrance from Katechaki Avenue).
