Basil and Elise Goulandris Foundation Art Museum

The Basil & Elise Goulandris Foundation collection is undoubtedly one of the most important private collections of fine art assembled in the second half of the 20th century. The museum showcasing the collection in Athens (Eratosthenous 13) is well worth a visit. After seeing the museum, it is worthwhile to go visit Athens' famous marble stadium. It was built on the site of an ancient stadium (originally built in 330 BC) to host the modern Olympic Games. The stadium is just a short walk from the museum.

 

In front of the Goulandris Art Museum and the adjacent church building, a staircase forms a small town square. Photo OI

Floor plan of the museum as pictured in the third floor exit plan. The museum auditorium is seen on the left of the floor plan. Photo OI
Floor guide


Basil & Elise Goulandris selected the works in their collection based on their personal preferences and their own aesthetic values, as most collectors do. According to the museum, the Goulandrises bought art in post-war Paris. This is also reflected in the exhibition. Although the museum has interesting works by Greek artists, the collection is not a national one, focusing primarily on the masters of 20th century European and American art.

Takis (Panayiotis Vassilakis) (1925-2019). Yellow Magnetic Wall. 1976. Magnets, plastic wire and metal on canvas | 175 × 359 cm
Edgar Degas (1834-1917). Fourteen-year-old dancer. Circa 1878-1881. Bronze tulle skirt and satin ribbon on a wooden base
The works are illuminated with the latest lighting technology. In several paintings, only the canvas is highlighted. The lighting is effective in the dimly lit exhibition spaces, although it can sometimes feel overly ostentatious. Roy Lichtenstein (1923-1997). Nude with white flower, collage for "Nude with yellow flower". 1994. Tape, pencil, acrylic paint, ink and printed paper on cardboard. 78 × 61 cm.
Fernando Botero (1932-). Portrait of E.B.G. 1982 (Portrait of Elise B. Goulandris) Oil on canvas 94 x 77 cm



Shipowner Basil Goulandris died in 1994 and Elise in 2000. They had long planned a museum for their collection, but it was not opened until 2019. According to the museum, the founders left behind a generous donation to establish the museum. The foundation that manages the museum has used its funds well, and the museum exudes quality in terms of space, presentation and elegant curation.

The museum occupies a somewhat cramped site. It is based on a neoclassical building from the 1920s, but has been enlarged with a modern extension. The exhibition halls are not huge, but the scale is pleasing. The modern café, which extends onto a covered courtyard, is, like the rest of the museum, of high quality.
The Goulandris did not only gather masters of modern art. The museum has some excellent examples from the rest of the collection. The graveyard horse. China, Tang Dynasty, 800s, China. Glazed ceramics
A painting by Vincent van Gogh was on display at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam as part of a thematic exhibition during my visit to the museum (March 2022). As the museum's exhibition text explained, the 3D printing reproduces very well the thick layers of paint characteristic of van Gogh's work. Original work by Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890) The Olive Picking. Oil on canvas. 73,5 x 92,5 cm



Location: Eratosthenous 13, Athina 116 35, Kreikka

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