The Museum is located on the southeastern coast-line of Aitoliko, on an artificial hill next to the sea. It has been operating since 2006 and is the only museum in Greece and Europe that is dedicated exclusively to the sills and arts of engraving. It is built on a plot of land granted for its construction by the former Municipality of Aitoliko and houses over 500 works, wood and stone matrices, painting drafts, drawings and engravings by the great Greek engraver Vasso Katraki-Leonardou. It consists of two large rooms, totalling 1,000 square metres, one of which houses permanent works by the leading artist, which she donated to her hometown, and the other hosts works by major artists. At the same time, the museum puts on temporary art exhibitions, while the basement of the building has been designed to accommodate a School of Engraving Art in the future.
Vasso Katraki was born (1914-1988) in Aitoliko and studied at the School of Fine Arts, under the teachers K. Parthenis and I. Kefallinos. Her work is internationally recognized and has been honored with major world awards, such as the first prize of the 1960 Venice Biennale. The artist initially worked on wood engravings and later continued on stone. In the first phase, which lasted about 15 years, she was largely inspired by the landscape and everyday scenes of her homeland, Aitoliko and Messolonghi, such as the work of farmers and fishermen. Her last thirty-five years are characterized by her archetypal tall figures, monumental compositions and large-scale works. These draw to some extent inspiration from Cycladic art, but also echo events of the 20th century, such as the military dictatorship, which significantly influenced her subject matter, with tragic compositions. Among her favourite subjects are horses, which are also associated with the horsemen of the Ag. Αgathi festival.
Opening hours: Open Monday to Sunday, from 09:00 to 15:00.
Telephone: 26320 23269
The Museum has a surrounding area of just under 4 acres. Immediately to the west of the museum, in the small harbour of Aitoliko, a waterfowl park has been created. This operates on the initiative of the citizens of Aitoliko and under the care of the Management Unit of the National Park of Messolonghi and Protected Areas of Western Central Greece. It can be visited in conjunction with a trip to the museum.
