Panayiotis Tetsis - The Obsession of the Gaze

To mark 100 years since the birth of renowned Greek painter Panayiotis Tetsis, the National Gallery presents a major retrospective of his work, running from 10 April to 31 October 2025.

Titled The Obsession of the Gaze, the exhibition brings together 160 works – including oil paintings, prints, watercolours and pastels – highlighting Tetsis’ distinctive way of observing and interpreting the world around him.

Widely recognised as a leading figure in post-war Greek art, Tetsis helped shape the development of contemporary art in Greece through both his artistic practice and his teaching. His intense, almost obsessive, focus on atmosphere and detail is reflected in the title of the exhibition.

Often working on a single theme for years – sometimes more than four – he created entire series devoted to specific subjects: footballers, gardens, balcony doors, chairs, shipyards, the landscapes of Sifnos and Hydra, the street market, tables, boats, seas, portraits of friends, still lifes, pine trees and, finally, the rocks of Hydra.

These series are complemented by works in other media – ink drawings, prints and watercolours – which Tetsis saw as communicating vessels. This approach allowed him to explore each subject from multiple angles and in different moods and textures.

Most of the artworks come from the artist’s generous donations to the National Gallery between 1997 and 2015, supplemented by 64 loans from public and private collections.
 

Source: Official Website of the National Gallery

Ticket Details

Opening hours of the National Gallery (main building):

• Monday: 10:00 - 18:00
• Tuesday: Closed
• Wednesday: 12:00 - 20:00
• Thursday: 10:00 - 18:00
• Friday: 10:00 - 18:00
• Saturday: 10:00 - 18:00
• Sunday: 10:00 - 18:00

Tickets are issued up to one hour before closing time.

More information about ticketing can be found (here).

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**Please refer to the official website and/or the festival organisers for possible changes in times and dates.**