Fifty-eight masterpieces from Centre Pompidou in France will be displayed in the Hong Kong Museum of Art from Sept. 30 to December 3.

"The exhibition will bring to Hong Kong some of modern art's greatest treasures, dating from the beginning of the 20th century to the present," said Thomas Chow, director of Leisure and Cultural Services of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government.

The exhibition, titled "Artists and Their Models -- Masterpieces from the Centre Pompidou, Paris" , will feature works by great artists, such as Picasso, Matisse, Chagall, Brancusi, Soutine, Modigliani, Dubuffet, Bacon, Balthus, Adami, and Raysse Martial.

The works to be shown include paintings, sculptures and installations with portraiture as the theme.

They are not only representative works illustrating various important schools of art that range from cubism and futurism to surrealism and pop art, but also masterpieces that reflect the artists' perception of the changing times, demonstrating the diverse creativity in the art of portraiture, Chow said.

"Only very rarely have such remarkable works been lent to outside establishments for exhibition, and this is the first time they will be shown in Asia," Chow said.

The exhibition is jointly presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department and the Centre Pompidou, Paris, in collaboration with the Consulate General of France in Hong Kong.

Editor: Wing