a picture gallery in either ancient Greece or ancient Rome. The original pinacotheca, which housed the tablets or pictures honouring the gods, formed the left wing of the Propylaea of the Acropolis in Athens. Evidence from ancient manuscripts indicates that the pictures were separate easel works rather than frescoes. Other Greek pinacothecas were at Ephesus and Samos.

In ancient Rome (ancient Rome) a pinacotheca was the gallery in a private home or villa in which were kept art objects, tablets, and statues. The Roman pinacotheca adjoined the atrium. In modern times the word may refer to an art gallery. The public galleries at Bologna and Siena, in Italy, are examples. In Munich, two famous galleries are called the Alte Pinakothek and the Neue Pinakothek, i.e., the old and new pinacothecas.