CULTURE
A Quick Guide to the National Gallery The National Gallery opens in its newly renovated, swanky 11,000 sqm home in Pangrati, a remarkable addition to Athens’ rich cultural repertoire. A bright and cheery triptych by Panagiotis Tetsis with vibrant scenes from a raucous farmers’ market greets visitors, mirroring the inclusive ethos of the gallery. Sculptural masterpieces adorn its outdoor space, including Costas Varotsos’ Spiral that seems engaged in conversation with the Runner just across the avenue. Athens Insider gives you a sneak peek on what you can expect. Brief History It started off as a modest collection of 117 works, displayed as part of a permanent exhibition at the Athens University in 1878. In 1896, Alexandros Soutzos, a jurist and art lover, bequeathed his collection and estate to the Greek Government with the express wish of creating a national art museum. The museum opened in 1900 and the first curator was Georgios Iakovides, a famous Greek painter and proponent of the Munich School artistic movement.
Collections
A custodian of Greek art and heritage, The National Gallery’s collections comprise more than 20,000 works of paintings, sculptures, engravings and other forms of art. The gallery exhibitions are mainly focused on post-Byzantine Greek Art but it also owns and exhibits also an extensive collection of European artists. Particularly valuable is the collection of paintings from the Renaissance. Expect to see original artworks by El Greco, Eugene Delacroix, Piet Mondrian, Auguste Rodin, Pablo Picasso and Greek artists such as Theodoros Vryzakis, Spyros Vassiliou and Dimitris Mytaras.
Its name
In 1954, the National Gallery merged with the Alexandros Soutzos Estate, hence its name. It houses an extensive library with invaluable archival material and specialized conservation studios, equipped with up-to-date scanning, examination and restoration systems. There is a wing funded and named after the Stavros Niarchos Foundation.
The new gallery Marina Lambraki-Plaka, the grand doyenne of The National Gallery describes it as ‘a project that will fill all Greeks with happiness and pride.’ The building with its translucent façade makes it a modern, athens insider | 18 |
