generosity of donors, Bermuda is being given an unprecedented opportunity to see first-hand, art that is normally only accessible in galleries and museums overseas.

So far, each loan exhibition at the National Gallery has revealed the artistic wealth that lurks in private collections in Bermuda and this latest show, the third since the Gallery opened, is no exception.

The focus this time around, reverts to contemporary art (or more loosely, art of the 20th century) which proved so unexpectedly popular in the opening exhibition.

The fascinating, even bewildering mix of style and media in this show reflects the tumultuous evolution in artistic concepts since the Post-Impressionism of Gaugin, Cezanne and Van Gogh ushered in the age of modernism. The period since then, full of a dizzying succession of schools and movements mirrors the social and technological changes that have characterised this century.

It has been a time when accepted artistic principles have been swept away, so that just a quick glance round this particular exhibition gives the viewer a very good idea of the kaleidoscopic developments that have, in some cases, left people scratching their heads in puzzlement.

The good news is that due to Mrs. Susan Krassy who has been conducting her brilliantly entertaining docent tours for schoolchildren and young people, this section of our population, at least, has no such hang-ups.

There is no doubt at all that it is the contemporary works that have been striking chords or recognition with the younger viewers -- surely, a healthy sign for the future of Bermuda's fledgling Gallery.

There is certainly plenty to see, and any fears that reliance on donors would result in a disconnected pot-pourri has been quashed by the selections of curator David Mitchell and the sheer strength of most individual pieces.

And if they do not strike any particular theme in their catch-all description as Visual Poetry, few would deny the visual impact that greets the visitor at the entrance to the gallery: there is an immediate sensation of freshness and vitality as colours and forms leap across vast canvases.

The main gallery, after less than six months, already seems to cry out for large and dramatic contemporary works and in this exhibition, that initial glimpse of two huge abstract, colour-slashed works by Sandra Blow sets the tone for this challenging exhibition.

The big names of art are here again -- this time, an exquisite little pencil sketch of a nude by Matisse, a massive sculpture entitled The Watchers by one of the century's leading sculptors, Englishman Lynn Chadwick, the dreamlike surrealism of Joan Miro, the Spanish artist who was one of prime exponents of that movement, and a lithograph by American Alexander Calder that is strangely reminiscent of Bermuda's buttery roofs.

It is amazing how well Bermuda's artists bear up in this august company: Charles Zuill has one of his `earth' paintings, made of ground Bermuda sand and blended with acrylic paint to form a composition whose linear flatness is at variance with the rich earth tones and textures; Willie Collieson's collage of The View Across the Canal, a supreme example of his apparently limitless originality, both in his choice of materials and personal vision and lastly, Sheilagh Head's abstract impression of Sea Lough where her innate sense of colour is matched by her emotional response to the remorseless movement of the sea.

Of the many delights in this show -- and there are many -- are two paintings that reveal styles that are different again. One is the meticulously stylised work of Carlo Canevari, represented by a small gem of a painting, Two Cardinals Watching a Tortoise Race, in which the brilliantly scarlet-robed figures are locked in fantastical Martha Graham-type poses and an exquisite little painting by Spanish artist Badia Moreno, which harks back to impressionism and portrays the misty, barely discernible Head of a Woman, and permeated with a sense of elusive poignancy.

Finally, the featured local artist is Sharon Wilson, in a series of pastel studies of children. Masterfully drawn and glowing with softly irradescent colours, each picture is imbued with tenderness. This fine young artist captures, perhaps more than any other artist working in Bermuda today, the magical narrative of the child's private world.

PATRICIA CALNAN THE WATCHERS -- By world-famous English sculptor Lynn Chadwick is on show at the Bermuda National Gallery in their current loan exhibition, entitled Visual Poetry.