The collection of the Art Gallery

The Municipal Gallery of Rhodes is today one of the most significant and most representative collections of 20th century Greek painting. The majority of Greek artists born into these nine generations, artists who formed the face of modern Greek painting, are included in this collection. We see the most indicative examples of their work, and indeed, in many cases, the Gallery contains paintings which would be indispensable if a museum were to be set up for each artist separately. There are works which mark the development of these artists or which have been part of official exhibitions, both in Greece and abroad. Works by K. Maleas, G. Bouzianis, F. Kontoglou, Theofilos, S.Vasiliou, N. Hadzikyriakos - Gikas, Y. Spyropoulos and other prominent Greek artists who together make this collection so interesting and so valuable for the scholar of Modern Greek painting. Alongside the creators of Greek art, we find other important artistic expressions that complemented the intellectual character of each decade and each major historical period. With a few exceptions - regarding recent generations and an extensive number of artists who are still developing their own style and technique - the Municipal Gallery of Rhodes is a highly representative museum of Greek Art of this century.

    Andreas Ioannou, a historian of Modern Greek Art and the Prefect of the Dodecanese at that time was responsible for the founding of the Municipal Gallery of Rhodes. At a time when the major collections of modern art in Greece could be counted on the fingers of the hand, Andreas Ioannou had the idea of establishing the Gallery. He worked hard to obtain its firs acquisitions and he programmed its activities. At that time, thirty years ago, even the national Gallery of Athens restricted its interest to 19th century art, while other collections, which are well known today, did not even exist. The aim of the Gallery of Rhodes was the systematic acquisition of works by every generation and every artist of significance. It is impressively close to that goal now, especially after certain purchases of works exhibited during the last few years. The necessity for a Companion to the works contained in the Gallery became apparent, also because the Gallery is visited not only by the local inhabitants of Rhodes but also by the many visitors to the island who come from other parts of Greece and abroad. Besides this, a catalogue of existing works is most useful for the many scholars of Modern Greek painting, together with historians and critics, who often come up against difficulties

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