Municipal Art Gallery of Rhodes | Municipal Modern Greek Art Museum of Rhodes

In Symi Square in Rhodes’ medieval Old Town, this gallery presents modern Greek painting in a building with a medieval façade and ground-floor arches. Its collection includes works by leading 20th-century Greek artists such as Theofilos, Fotis Kontoglou and Gikas. Around 90 works are displayed at a time from a collection of nearly 700, so the selection can offer a focused introduction to Greek art and its links with European movements. Check the gallery’s current location and opening status before setting out, as temporary relocations have been reported.

A collection of modern Greek painting

The gallery holds nearly 700 works, with about 90 available for public viewing at a time. The collection focuses on Greek painting of the 20th century and includes works by artists such as Fotis Kontoglou, Theofilos, Nikos Hadjikyriakos-Gikas and Spyros Vassiliou.

The paintings connect Greek art with wider European movements. Look for works including Yannis Tsarouchis’s “Chief of patrol. Glues on cloth” and Theofilos’s portrait of Miltiades Yataganas, a figure from the Greek War of Independence.

Finding the gallery in the Old Town

The gallery is in Symi Square, in the medieval Old Town of Rhodes. From Freedom Gate, it is among the first buildings on the right. Its exterior and ground-floor arches provide a striking medieval setting for the modern works inside.

The museum’s origins go back to preparations made in the 1950s. It was founded by Andreas Ioannou, a scholar of modern Greek art and prefect of the Dodecanese, and officially opened in 1964. Temporary closures and moves have been reported, so confirm the current location and status on the official website before visiting.