W hat does it mean to be an icon? In the vast sweep of art history, the masterpieces that move us are those that hold up a mirror to ourselves. “ICONS: Masterpieces from across time and space” brings together works in which the central figure is one that is instinct to the beholder. Such art presents, to borrow a phrase from Iris Murdoch, the “‘memory’ of what we did not know we knew.” In the presence of icons, the feeling overtakes us to step beyond our ordinary awareness and find inspiration through fresh eyes.

古人評畫，嘗以「神品」謂之，表示藝術家刻劃事物達到了最高境界。

明代陶宗儀《輟耕錄》中敘畫一節將神品定義為: 「氣韻生動，出於天成，人莫窺其巧者，謂之神品。」

這些曠世傑作除了已臻化境的技巧之外，主題皆以「人」為本，以作品為鑑，反觀己身，思考人與世界萬物之間的連結。

「神品：超越時空的大師之作」打破地域、時代、媒材藩籬，帶給古今中外觀者一脈相承的、對美的悸動。