Government ministers from Northern Ireland and the Republic came together in Belfast to witness a rare reunion of two paintings by Italian painter Caravaggio.
Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio's 'The Supper At Emmaus' and 'The Taking Of Christ' are being displayed together at the Ulster Museum in a treat for art lovers expected to attract visitors from across the island.
The artworks have rarely been seen together since the first quarter of the 17th century and their display together comes as the result of a successful collaboration and partnership between museums in Belfast, Dublin and London.
Stormont deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly, Junior Minister Aisling Reilly and Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media Catherine Martin attended the exhibition's opening event yesterday evening.
The Supper At Emmaus (1601) is on loan to the Ulster Museum from the National Gallery, London, as part of its National Treasures project marking its bicentenary.
Meanwhile the Jesuit Community in Dublin, with the support of the National Gallery of Ireland, has facilitated the loan of Caravaggio's The Taking Of Christ (1602) in an exhibition sponsored by EY.
Kathryn Thomson, chief executive of National Museums NI, said the collaboration "demonstrates how the arts can help celebrate our shared history and cultural diversity in a way that is inclusive and accessible to all".
"To see both paintings together in the one location is almost unprecedented, and as such creates a genuine once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for local audiences, as well as an undoubted draw for visitors from further afield," she said.
The National Gallery developed the National Treasures programme as part of a series of events to mark its bicentenary.
The Ulster Museum is one of 12 museums and galleries across the UK to host a masterpiece from the gallery's renowned collection, with the aim of bringing more than half of the UK's population within an hour's journey of a beloved National Gallery painting.
Dr Caroline Campbell, director of the National Gallery of Ireland, said: "We are leaders in sharing our collection with audiences on site, online, across the island of Ireland, and internationally.
"Caravaggio's The Taking Of Christ is one of the most popular works on show at the National Gallery of Ireland.
"While we'll miss it when it's in Belfast, we are delighted to support its display at the Ulster Museum.
"As I was born and raised in Belfast, I'm very proud to see this next phase of collaboration with our colleagues in National Museums NI take place."
Anne Stewart, senior curator of art at National Museums NI, described the connection between these two Caravaggio paintings as "remarkable".
"Both were painted for the same patron, Ciriaco Mattei, and originally displayed in the same family palace in Rome," she said.
"Reuniting Caravaggio's The Supper At Emmaus and The Taking Of Christ is a highly ambitious and an unusual event as they hardly ever travel and have rarely been seen together since the first quarter of the 17th century.
"This exhibition provides our audiences with an important chance to access these masterpieces in one place."
The Supper At Emmaus and The Taking Of Christ are on display at the Ulster Museum from today until Sunday 1 September.
