"Most Americans can't really understand the Chinese characters and calligraphy, but they are attracted by their beauty and magic," Joseph Scheier-Dolberg, assistant curator in the department of Asian art in New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art, said on Friday.

Celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, his department on Saturday opened a special exhibition, titled Masterpieces of Chinese Painting, which presents the historical evolution of the brush arts of China from the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907) to the present. The show continues through Oct 11, 2016.

"By highlighting the collection's most notable work of art, the exhibition will provide visitors with a rare opportunity to learn about the history of Chinese painting and calligraphy through some of the best examples available from each era," Scheier-Dolberg says.