"From Academia to Impressionism – Master Pieces of the 19th century European paintings" is currently taking over Beijing's art scene.

The exhibition is not about the presentation of art history, as you might expect from typical museum experiences. Instead it reveals how one man's obsession provided the world with a greatly influential set of works from a century of European painting.

The show offers a brisk and eccentric run through a century of Western painting.

The 19th century was a time when diverse art forms including neoclassicism, academic and Pre-Raphaelite art blossomed.(Photo: CCTV.com)

The 100 masterpieces are works similar to those found in collections in the world's most prestigious art museums. But these paintings are rarely seen by the public since they were collected by sharp-eyed buyers before they were recognized. They were then selected and purchased by Mexican business magnate Juan Antonio Perez Simon.

The famed art connoisseur and his Juntos Actuados foundation have brought a small portion of his collections to Asia for the first time.