Sree Chitra Art Gallery, located in the northern grounds of the Napier Museum at the Thiruvananthapuram Museum Compound, features a unique collection of traditional and contemporary paintings.  There are approximately 1100 paintings at the gallery including many timeless masterpieces. A large collection was gifted by the Royal House of Travancore and the Kilimanoor Royal Family of Kerala. The gallery was Inaugurated by Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma in 1935, who was the last ruling Maharaja of the Indian princely state of Travancore, in present-day Kerala. Chithira Thirunal, who patronised the arts, appointed, for the first time, an Art Advisor to Government, Dr. J. H. Cousins. Cousins played a pivotal role in the establishment of the gallery by curating a remarkable collection.

Apart from the Travancore paintings, the diverse collection also includes paintings from the Mughal, Rajput, Bengal, Rajasthani, and Tanjore schools of art. It also has an oriental collection of Chinese, Japanese, and Balinese paintings, Tibetan Thangka, and Indian mural paintings from pre-historic times. The gallery also houses various miniatures including 400-year-old Tanjore miniature paintings as well as manuscripts of archival importance. This treasure trove of works of art, some of which cost millions, is a testament to the rich, artistic heritage of Kerala.

The gallery also pays homage to the Bengal School of Art that revolutionised Indian painting in the early 20th century, with a fusion of traditional techniques with modern sensibilities. Another highlight of the gallery is the collection of works by world-famous Russian painters Nicholas Roerich and his son Svetoslav Roerich, mainly depicting the Himalayas in their mystic grandeur.

Raja Ravi Varma Art Gallery
The Raja Ravi Varma Art Gallery is a separate gallery within Napier Museum that displays the major works of Raja Ravi Varma, his brother C. Raja Raja Varma, and his sister Mangalabai Thampuratty. Among the gallery's most prized possessions are the exquisite works of Raja Ravi Varma, an artist par excellence. Ravi Varma, who was part of the royal family of Travancore, drew international acclaim when he won an award for an exhibition of his paintings in Vienna in 1873. He was among the first Indian artists to master the European oil painting technique, which he combined with Indian themes and subjects. He was also the first to mass-produce art prints in India, thus democratizing art.

KCS Panicker Gallery
The KCS Panicker Gallery is located in the auditorium of the Napier Museum office and pays homage to the celebrated artist K.C.S. Panicker, whose contributions to modern Indian art are significant. Nominated as one of the nine eminent artists of India, Kerala's renowned painter Panicker was born in 1911. He was instrumental in setting up the Progressive Painters Association in Madras from 1944 to 1953. An artist who set a new trend, the KCS Panicker Gallery traces his works over a period, showcasing the evolution of his unique artistic style.