★★★★★ 5.0
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Benaki Museum - The Ghika Gallery
The year is 1955, and up on the very top of this five-story house, a famous Greek artist is adding one more floor just for his paintbrushes and books! Nikos Hadjikyriakos-Ghika lived in this building for FORTY whole years - that's like your entire life plus your parents' entire lives! This isn't just any old house on Kriezotou Street - it's where over 200 Greek artists, writers, and musicians hung out together, creating what grown-ups call "the Generation of the 30s." And get this - the famous American writer Henry Miller sent postcards here all the way from California, addressing them simply to "Ghika (painter)" because everyone knew exactly who lived at number 3! The coolest part? Ghika was so generous he gave away his ENTIRE house - every paintbrush, every piece of furniture, even his 7,000 books - to make this amazing museum where you can peek inside a real artist's secret world!
Did You Know?
- The Ghika Gallery is housed in the former home and studio of Nikos Hadjikyriakos-Ghika, one of Greece’s most influential 20th-century artists—visitors can see his preserved study, personal belongings, and artworks, offering an intimate look at his creative process and the vibrant intellectual salon that once gathered in this very space, making it a rare living museum of artistic life.
- Unlike typical art museums, the Ghika Gallery uniquely blends architectural intimacy with artistic legacy—the modernist Athenian residence itself is a work of art, and the collection includes not only Ghika’s paintings and sculptures but also works by his close friends, such as British artist John Craxton, highlighting the deep cultural ties and artistic exchanges between Greece and Britain during the mid-20th century.
- A little-known feature for families and children is the gallery’s rotating exhibitions, such as the recent 'Grand Tour' display, which brought 17 significant British artworks—including a famous portrait of Lord Byron—from the British ambassador’s residence into the gallery, creating unexpected encounters between Greek and British art and history, and making the space a dynamic crossroads of international culture and diplomacy.