Mars and Rhea Silvia. Provided to China Daily

This creative impulse that Rubens had presented in the sketch somewhat overshadowed the latter large-size painting and woolen tapestry.

Meanwhile, Van Dyck fully manifested his prodigious skills in both Saint Jerome, which he painted at only 17, and Portrait of Maria de Tassis, which is ranked a masterpiece of his output.

Following the Liechtenstein pavilion's appearance at the 2010 Shanghai Expo, the exhibition marks another grand event to connect Chinese viewers with the Central European country, through the presence of one of the most important private assemblies of European art.

Kraeftner says from the beginning of the 19th century, Liechtenstein has been an important patron of art and architecture on one side and a serious collector of art on the other.

"For generations, the Liechtenstein dynasty has maintained and added to the collections, pursuing a consistent policy which continues to enhance the enduring collections. Only the now reigning Prince Hans-Adam II has added more than 700 works of art in the last 30 years," he says.

The painting collection alone boasts around 1,700 objects in addition to more than 500 sculptures together with large holdings of engravings, porcelains, furniture, tapestries, Kunstkammer (cabinets of curiosities) objects and hunting firearms.

After the Beijing exhibition, the collections will move to Shanghai's China Art Museum from March to June.

IF YOU GO

9 am-5 pm, closed on Monday, until Feb 15. National Museum of China, east to the Tian'anmen Square, 16 East Chang'an Avenue, Dongcheng district, Beijing. 010-6511-6400.