On the occasion of a new collaboration between the British Embassy in Athens and the Benaki Museum, the Government Art Collection of the United Kingdom grants seventeen works of art from the British Embassy residence on long-term loan for exhibition at the Benaki Museum of Hellenic Culture and the Gkika Gallery.

These important works from the 19th and 20th centuries are included in the spaces of the permanent collections and follow the theme of the museum narrative. In this way they achieve new and unexpected mutual responses and highlight both the shared histories and the strong cultural and diplomatic ties between the United Kingdom and Greece.

One of the most prominent works in this pop-up exhibition is a portrait of Lord Byron by Thomas Philips, which visitors will have the opportunity to admire throughout 2024, marking the bicentenary of the Philhellenic's death poet. Works by Joseph and Anton Schranz offer a picture of the Greek islands in the 19th century, while the oil paintings and watercolors of Nikos Hatzikyriakos-Ghikas and John Craxton exhibited in the former's modernist Athenian residence, which now houses the Ghika Art Gallery, bring to life the long friendship and the artistic interactions of the two outstanding artists of the 20th century.

The Government Art Gallery of the United Kingdom is a unique cultural institution, promoting British art by placing works in British government buildings around the world. Two thirds of the Collection are on display in ministry offices and diplomatic residences in almost every capital of the world. For over 120 years and with almost 15,000 works of art dating back over six centuries, the UK Government Art Collection is constantly enriched by the acquisition of new works, which reflect the diversity of British society. The Collection aims to expand public access and participation in its stock through digital platforms and synergies around the world.

Note: The exhibition continues at the Gkika Gallery.

The Museum remains closed:
January 1 and 6, Holy Monday, March 25, Easter Sunday and Monday, May 1, Holy Spirit, August 15, October 28, December 25-26.