Masterpieces by Chinese and French artists are exhibited at Taiyuan Art Museum. [Photo/Taiyuan Daily]

The Special Exhibition of Centennial Art of Chinese and French Masters opened on Jan 8 at Taiyuan Art Museum in Taiyuan, capital of North China's Shanxi province.

As the first major exhibition of the year, it brings together over 30 original works by Chinese and French art masters, showcasing centuries-old masterpieces.

The exhibition, which marks the 61st anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France, is a heartfelt tribute to Sino-French cultural exchanges.

The exhibition includes works from the 19th to the 21st century, including classic pieces by Paul-Albert Besnard, Fernand Cormon, and Pablo Picasso.

It also features the figurative color of Expressionist genius Bernard Buffet, the passionate brushstrokes of postwar abstract master Georges Mathieu, the abstract art of Olivia Debre, the charm of Chu Teh-Chun and Zao Wou-Ki, and contemporary expressions by French-based artist T'ang Haywen.

Visitors can appreciate masterpieces such as Pablo Picasso's Poisson, Paul-Albert Besnard's Paysage d'automne, Olivia Debre's Ocre d'automne, Bernard Buffet's Le pot de fleurs, and Chu Teh-Chun’s Composition, offering a truly iconic, cross-temporal, and cross-regional art experience.

These masterpieces have been collected by world-leading public art institutions, such as the Musee d'Orsay, the Louvre, the Centre Pompidou, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.