The modern art museum in Lugano has announced it will be hosting a major exhibition of rarely seen works by the Russian painter, Marc Chagall, in 2001.

The exhibition opening on March 8, will feature some of the artist's earlier works from private collections and museums around the world.

It will be the first time since 1955 that a complete retrospective of Chagall's works will be shown in Switzerland.

Chagall, who was born in Vitebsk, Russia in 1887, died in France in 1985.

The exhibition will include 80 works on canvas from his years as a painter in Russia (1908-1910) and his years in France (1960-1980). It will also include 40 watercolours and drawings, as well as some rare sculptures done by the artist.

Chagall's 1911 painting entitled "The Violinist" will be shown as well as the celebrated triptych, "Resurrection - Liberation - Resistance", which he painted between 1937 and 1952.

Paris' modern art museum, the Georges Pomidou Centre, has lent 15 paintings to the exhibition, which are considered to be very important pieces from Chagall's collection of works.

Museums in Russia, Italy, the Netherlands and the United States have all lent paintings, as have the Tate Gallery in London and Zurich's Kunsthaus.

The retrospective is estimated to cost SFr 1.8 million ($1.1 million). Museum officials say they hope private sponsors and ticket sales will cover a large part of that expense.

The new Swiss president, Moritz Leuenberger, will host a special opening ceremony for the exhibition on March 7. It will open to the public on the 8th and run until July 1.

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