Art works from the collections of the British embassy in Athens, among the museum’s permanent collections, will appear scattered from 5/7 at the Benaki Museum on Koumpari Street and at the Ghika Gallery.

These are 17 important paintings of the 19th to 20th centuries presented under the general title “Grand Tour”, until June 1, 2025, approximately as long as the British Embassy residence on Loukianou Street will remain closed due to maintenance and renovation work (one of its finest mansions of Athens and former residence of Eleftherios Venizelos).

The works have been granted by the Government Art Collection of the United Kingdom on long-term loan for exhibition at the Benaki Museum.

The idea is of the British ambassador in Athens, Matthew Lodge, instead of the works returning to Great Britain, as is the case in similar cases. Also a proposal from the British side is the title “Grand Tour” as the selection of the works presented are an “excellent sample of early British tourism in Greece inspired by classicism” emphasized the director of the Benaki Museum, Giorgis Magginis, explaining that the presentation of the works follows the theme of the existing museum narrative and the viewer is invited to discover them through a treasure hunt, guided by a map ».

The star of this pop-up exhibition is one of the finest portraits of Lord Byron by Thomas Phillips, which the public will have the opportunity to visit throughout 2024, marking the bicentenary of the Philhellenic poet’s death. The same portrait was included in the “1821 Before and After” exhibition. In return, the museum then lent Henry Pickersgill’s portrait of a young Greek woman from its collections, and it is now being re-exhibited. Also, works by Joseph and Anton Schranz offer an image of the Greek islands during the 19th century, colored engravings by the antiquarian and painter Eduardo Dodwell, watercolors by Edward Lear, the Greek women of the “orientalist” Jen Frederick Lewis and an image of the Virgin Mary A 17th-century “Glykophiloussa”, presented to the British Embassy in Athens by the city’s mayor Ambrosios Plytas (1886-1964) in March 1941, a few days before the German invasion of Greece, as a token of gratitude for the British government’s support during the Greco-Italian war, seal the collaboration and dialogue between the collections of the Benaki Museum and the Government Art Collection of the United Kingdom. In the same spirit of the exhibition, the oil paintings and watercolors of Nikos Hatzikyriakos-Ghikas and John Craxton in the former’s modernist Athenian residence, where today the Ghikas Art Gallery is housed, bring to life the long friendship and artistic interactions of the two outstanding artists of the 20th century.

The Government Art Gallery of the United Kingdom is a cultural institution, promoting British art through the installation of 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 six centuries, the 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.

The ambassador of the United Kingdom in Greece, Matthew Lodge, expressed his thanks to the Benaki Museum and the Ministry of Culture for making the exhibition possible, stressing, among other things, in his message: “We are very excited about our collaboration with the Benaki Museum team for this report. We are truly grateful because they have demonstrated their deep knowledge and passion since day one. With the exception of the famous portrait of Lord Byron, which was included in the exhibition again organized by the Benaki Museum for the 200th anniversary of the Greek Revolution, the works we are talking about today are coming out of the British Embassy Residence for the first time. I would like to believe that the Grand Tour exhibition highlights an interesting aspect of the strong human ties between Greeks and the British, through the eyes of the creators and their choice of subject matter: the British trips to Nemea and Figalea, Mount Athos and Corfu , their admiration for Greece and its beauty.”

For her part, the director of the Government Collection of Works of Art of the United Kingdom, Eliza Gluckman, in a message welcomed the exhibition and the collaboration of the three institutions, stressing that “in this context, the common narratives of Greece and the United Kingdom stand out even more . The public has an excellent opportunity to see works from the British Government Collection in a museum setting and this has been achieved through creative collaboration on all sides.”

Finally, the scientific director of the Benaki Museum, Giorgis Magginis, said:

“A living museum offers knowledge and enjoyment, building bridges between institutions, places and peoples. For years, the Benaki Museum has highlighted the links between the UK and Greece, with a highlight being the donation by Patrick and Joan Leigh Fermor of their House in Kardamili and its inclusion in the Museum’s annexes as a center of research and culture. Consequently, the relationship between the British Embassy and the Museum is long-standing and fruitful. We hope that the initiative of the pop-up exhibition Grand Tour will allow the Greek and international public who will visit the Museum in the coming years to get to know and appreciate the work of this important cultural institution of the friendly country.”