The Iziko Old Town House on Greenmarket Square stands as one of the Mother City’s oldest and most significant public buildings. Originally serving as the seat of the Burgher Senate and later as the city’s first town hall, its foundation stone was laid on 18 November 1755. Designated as the geographical centre of the city, all maps of Cape Town are still measured from the distinctive lozenge set on the floor of its majestic entrance. Today, the Iziko Old Town House continues to evolve as a museum of art, hosting exhibitions that connect historical and contemporary works from South Africa, Africa, and beyond. Its reopening marks a new chapter in its life as the Mother City’s artistic centre.


Reflections, a compelling presentation, celebrates both the building’s storied past and its renewed role as a vibrant cultural hub in the heart of Cape Town. Comprising three interrelated exhibitions, Reflections: The Michaelis Collection, Reflections: Woodcuts Across the World, and Reflections: Trade Ceramics and Circles of Influence, this exhibition creates a dialogue between Iziko’s historical collections and contemporary acquisitions made over the past decade.

At the heart of Reflections lies one of South Africa’s most treasured art collections, the Michaelis Collection of Dutch and Flemish Old Masters, widely regarded as one of the finest such collections outside Europe and North America. Comprising over 100 paintings, more than 100 prints, and numerous drawings, the collection features works by Rembrandt van Rijn, Frans Hals, Sir Anthony van Dyck, and Pieter de Hooch, among others. Donated by Sir Max Michaelis in 1913 to commemorate the formation of the Union of South Africa, the collection opened to the public in 1917 and remains a cornerstone of Iziko’s art holdings.

Reflections invites visitors to see our collections, and this historic building and not as relics of the past, but as living archives that continue to evolve, inspire and provoke new ways of seeing. Together, these works explore intersections between past and present, local and global, and art and history.

Please note: Winter Weekend Hours:
Saturdays: 08h30 - 16h00

LOADSHEDDING INFORMATION:
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Please be advised that the Iziko National Gallery is not operational during loadshedding.

HOW TO SELF-RESCHEDULE TICKETS:
Click here to view how to self-reschedule.

For Refunds, please email: refunds@webtickets.co.za