 It was established in 1878 as a small collection of 117 works exhibited at the Athens University.In 1896, Alexandros Soutzos, a jurist and art lover, bequeathed his collection and estate to the Greek Government aspiring to the creation of an art museum.The museum opened in 1900 and the first curator was Georgios Jakobides, a famous Greek painter who was a member of the Munich School artistic movement.