Museum of Greek Folk Art

Lonely Planet review

An excellent collection of secular and religious folk art, mainly from the 18th and 19th centuries, is housed in the Museum of Greek Folk Art. The 1st floor has embroidery, pottery, weaving and puppets. The 2nd floor has a reconstructed traditional village house with paintings by the primitive artist Theophilos of Lesvos (Mytilini). Greek traditional costumes are displayed on the 3rd and 4th floors.

There is an impressive collection of regional costumes and a fine line in murals by self-taught folk painter Theofilos Hatzimichail (1868-1934).

Hatzimichail effectively painted the entire Hellenic history, from people and events of classic mythology to modern streetscapes, and scenes of everyday life in his distinctive primitive two-dimensional style.