The "Birth of a Genius" exhibition brings together the best of the Picasso Museum Paris, Laurent Le Bon, the museum's president told AFP.

Featured works include paintings, sculptures and drawings, and are accompanied by photos of the young Pablo in Barcelona and Paris. The first Picasso exhibition in China was held in 1983, timed to coincide with a Beijing visit by then French president Francois Mitterrand.

 

Just 33 pieces of art were put on display. This year's exhibition, which runs until September 1 at the UCCA Center for Contemporary Art in Beijing, focuses on the artist's first 30 years.

 

"We have tried to show the great masterpieces like the blue Self Portrait, for example, that hardly ever leave the museum, and display them alongside a more multidisciplinary Picasso," Le Bon said.