Go for Baroque: Dresden exhibit to include royal riches and priceless porcelains.

Rare paintings by renown artists like Rembrandt and Rubens, the only known large green diamond in the world, and a suit of armor worn by August the Strong as a child are just a few of the amazing pieces of art that will be featured in "The Glory of Baroque Dresden" exhibit at the Mississippi Arts Pavilion in Jackson.

The exhibit opens to the public March 1, just days after a planned special inauguration ceremony featuring German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and Mississippi Commission for International Cultural Exchange executive director Jack Kyle.

"The Glory of Baroque Dresden" will be the first major exhibit from Dresden to visit the U.S. since World War II. In fact, many of the pieces have never left Dresden until their Mississippi debut. More than 400 major artworks from eight different collections will be showcased in the exhibit, each focusing on Baroque art in Europe from 1697 to 1763, during the reign of August the Strong and his son, August III.

Museum guests will travel back in time in the "Old Masters Picture Gallery," featuring paintings by Rembrandt, Rubens, Titian, Mantegna, Carracci, and more. Rembrandt's "Samson Proposing the Riddle at the Wedding Feast" and Rubens' "Diana's Return from the Hunt" are the highlights of this gallery.

"The Green Vault" is perhaps the most valuable of the galleries, as it is home to a variety of famous bronzes and jewels. In this collection, visitors will find the "Dresden Green Diamond," a 41-carat green diamond surrounded by white diamonds. It is the only large diamond with natural green color ever found. Other items here include the Rose-Diamond Garniture, the "Moor" sculpture adorned with breathtaking emeralds, and other selected garnitures of ruby, sapphire, and emerald.

In the "Porcelain Collection of the Zwinger," guests will enjoy an array of porcelain pieces, including classic Chinese blue and white porcelain, Imari-style Japanese porcelain, and a vast collection of "Dragoon" vases. Peacocks, goats, monkeys, and tigers are just a few of the animals seen in the Meissen animal collection, one of the largest displays outside of Dresden.

Special items used in the coronation of August the Strong are showcased in the "Rustkammer Gallery," a collection of arms and armor. A horse decoration of gilded brass bells from Vienna, a jeweled saddle given to August the Strong by Louis XIV of France, and a suit of armor worn by August the Strong as a child are a few of the magnificent pieces in the armor collection. The gallery also features a large collection of pistols, hunting guns, knives, and crossbows.

Sculptures dating as far back as 1490 will be included in the "Sculpture Collection of the Albertinum." Pieces from the Baroque period and from antiquity by artists like Balthazar Permoser, Paul Heerman, and Francesco di Giorgio Martini will be on display. Guests can also view ornate costumes, furniture, coins, and portraits from August the Strong's and August III's palace.

The Baroque Dresden exhibition is brought to Jackson by the Mississippi Commission for International Cultural Exchange, a non-profit cultural and educational organization. The Dresden exhibit is the fourth international exhibit to visit Jackson since 1996. The last exhibit, "The Majesty of Spain," attracted more than 320,000 visitors from across the country and was voted "2001 Top Event in the U.S."

The exhibit will run through September 6 at the Mississippi Arts Pavilion, located at the corner of Lamar and Court streets in downtown Jackson. Advance tickets are recommended. For additional details, call 866/216-5500 or visit www.gloryofdresden.com.