An exhibition of collections from the National Museums of Berlin is scheduled to

be held at the Kyushu National Museum (Dazaifu, Fukuoka Prefecture) from Oct. 9

to Dec. 2, 2012, organized by the museum, the Nishinippon Shimbun newspaper and

others.

The collections include "Young Lady with a Pearl Necklace," one of the finest

surviving masterpieces by Jan Vermeer van Delft (1632-1675), a prominent artist

of the Dutch Golden Age of painting. The exhibition, titled ''From Renaissance

to Rococo -- Four Centuries of European Drawing, Painting and Sculpture'' (in

Tokyo and Fukuoka), marks the first display of the painting in Japan. Other not-

to-be-missed pieces include works by giants of the Italian Renaissance such as

Michelangelo Buonarroti and Sandro Botticelli, works by Tilman Riemenschneider

and Lucas Cranach the Elder, both German, as well as paintings by another famed

Dutch painter Rembrandt van Rijn and artists associated with him.

Of the massive collections, arriving in Japan are 33 paintings, 45 sculptures

and 29 drawings that have been specifically chosen and show a glimpse of 400

years of the golden age of European arts spanning from the 15th century to the

18th century. These artworks have been rarely seen in Japan.

Opening Period: Oct. 9 (Tue.) - Dec. 2 (Sun.), 2012

Opening Hours: 9:30 - 17:00 (must enter by 16:30)

Venue: Kyushu National Museum (http://www.kyuhaku.com)

       4-7-2 Ishizaka, Dazaifu, Fukuoka Pref. 818-0118

Admission Fees

     1,500 yen for adults (1,300 yen with advance tickets, others)

     1,000 yen for high school and college students (800 yen with advance

     tickets, others)

     600 yen for elementary and junior high school students (400 yen with

     advance tickets, others)

     Discounts available for holders of advance or group tickets (for a party

     of 20 or more)

     Advance tickets have been on sale since July 7.