Georgios Gounaropoulos studied at the School of Fine Arts Athens from 1907 till 1912 under Spyridon Vicatos, Georgios Roilos and Vikentios Boccheciampe.

After fighting in the Balkan Wars, in 1917, he won the Averoff prize along with a scholarship, and two years later he moved to Paris to continue his studies first at the Académie Julian (until 1924) and then at the Académie de la Grande Chaumière (until 1925).

During this period, his works were exhibited at the important Parisian salons. He is one of the few Greek artists who has been signed to Parisian galleries, firstly with ‘Vavin-Raspall’ and later with ‘Georges Bernheim’.

In 1932, due to the worldwide financial crisis, he returned permanently to Greece.

Gounaropoulos’ work progressed through three stages: from 1912 until 1919 in the academic style he was taught during his studies in Greece; the time he moved to Paris he discovered impressionism and was greatly influenced by the work of Paul Cezanne; between 1923 and 1924 he went through an intermediate stage where he developed a strong line drawing language that bordered with German expressionism.

From 1925 onwards he developed a more personal, surrealistic style, one where his subject matter (mainly female and male figures, floral themes, and still life) dominate a dreamy atmosphere. His play on shade and light has a central role in his work as well as his passion for poetic and symbolic ideas - a ‘cosmic painting' as he used to call it.

Between 1937 and 1939 he worked on the fresco decoration of the Municipal Hall of Athens committee room. The project is considered one of the most impressive of its kind in Greece to this day.

Gounaropoulos held many solo exhibitions in Athens and participated in several prestigious group exhibitions such as at the Salon Nationale des Beaux-Arts Paris, the Salon d'Automne Paris, the Salon des Indépendants Paris, the 1959 Sao Paolo Biennale and the 1963 Alexandria Biennale.

After his death, in 1977, his family donated his house to the Municipality of Zografou, which since operates as the Gounaropoulos Museum, housing personal objects and works by this great artist.

His work is found in many public and private collections, notably: The National Gallery of Greece, the Athens Municipal Gallery, the National Bank of Greece, the Averoff Gallery and the Leventis Gallery.