An exhibition of 40 masterpieces by some of the greatest artists of recent times kicks off on Thursday at Opera Gallery Seoul in Cheongdam-dong, southern Seoul.

“The Masters” includes works by Claude Monet, Fernand Leger, Alexander Calder, Pablo Picasso, Joan Miro, Marc Chagall, Auguste Rodin, Georges Braque, Andy Warhol, Robert Indiana, Yves Klein, Keith Haring and Tom Wasselman.

Opera Gallery is a leading gallery chain which first opened in Singapore in 1994. It has 11 branches all over the world, including its head office in Paris, and holds a wide ranging collection of art. In Seoul, Opera Gallery opened in 2007. 

This is the first time that a high-profile exhibition is being held by the chain in Seoul while most of the Opera Gallery branches hold such big-name exhibitions every year.

“We did not get the opportunity to hold the show until now because our sales were relatively smaller compared to those in other cities. But the main office agreed on the show this time, to celebrate the 4th anniversary of Opera Gallery Seoul. All of the exhibits are on sale, many of them small-size works that are yet representative works by the artists. Rodin’s sculpture, for example, is the same piece that is exhibited at Rodin Museum in Paris,” said Bella Jung, curator at Opera Gallery Seoul.

The insurance fee covering the exhibits alone is known to be worth tens of billions of won. The pricy artworks will not grace the gallery’s signature glass walls to avoid exposure to direct sunlight.

The exhibition runs through Dec. 31. For more information, call (02)3446-0070 or visit www.operagallery.com.

By Park Min-young  (claire@heraldcorp.com)