BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA.- -A glorious and sweeping overview of European painting featuring many of the most illustrious names in the history of art will be on view at the Birmingham Museum of Art Through April 14, 2002.  European Masterpieces: Six Centuries of Paintings from the National Gallery of Victoria, Australia comes from the finest holding of European art in the southern hemisphere. The collections of the National Gallery of Victoria, Australia, have long been known and admired by scholars and art lovers the world over. This exhibition is the only chance American audiences will have to enjoy firsthand this magnificent collection; Birmingham is the sole venue in the Southeast.

Spanning over 600 years, this towering exhibition presents 88 of the Gallery's most important old master and modern paintings by 75 renowned artists. These include Tintoretto, van Dyck, El Greco, Rembrandt, Canaletto, Constable, Gainsborough,  Reynolds, Turner, Pissarro, Manet, Monet, van Gogh, Modigliani, Picasso, and many more, providing a spectacular visual experience.