More than 260 pieces by Pablo Picasso met art fans in southwestern Sichuan Province Friday.

In an art exhibition of the Spanish master, which opened in a Sichuan Provincial Art Museum in Chengdu, the provincial capital, visitors have a chance to appreciate the masterpieces, most of which have seldom appeared in public after becoming the private treasure of European collectors.

The works, from engravings, sketches to watercolor paintings, are representative works of Picasso, according to the exhibition organizers.

As a highlight of the show, the Tricornes, including 32 pieces of originals that Picasso created in the 1920s, were exhibited as a whole for the first time after being housed by an Italian museum84 years ago, said the organizers.

"It's exciting to see the works of Picasso, but to tell the truth, some paintings are so abstract that I can not understand them," said Xu Bingjun, 87, a retired college professor.

The exhibition will last one month in Chengdu. Before that, the precious works were displayed in the large cities of Shenzhen, Shanghai, Beijing, Jinan, Chongqing and Hangzhou.

(Xinhua News Agency December 17, 2005)