Queensland Arts Minister Rachel Nolan has announced Brisbane's Gallery of Modern Art (GoMA) has secured one of the most significant exhibitions of works on paper by Henri Matisse and will show it exclusively this summer.

"Matisse: Drawing Life, an exhibition of more than 300 drawings, prints, paper cut-outs and artist books by one of the 20th century's greatest artists, will open on December 2, marking the fifth anniversary of the opening of GoMA," Ms Nolan said.

"It is an incredible achievement that in its first five years GoMA will have staged major exhibitions of Pablo Picasso, Andy Warhol and Henri Matisse, regarded by many as the three most influential artists of the 20th century.

"These unprecedented, high-calibre international arts shows in Brisbane have delivered a $45 million boost to tourism and the state economy since 2007 and we want to keep that momentum going.

Surrealism: The Poetry of Dreams exhibition is currently drawing strong visitation at GoMA. Portrait of Spain: Masterpieces from the Prado is coming to the Queensland Art Gallery next June.

"I am delighted that Queenslanders will be able to celebrate GoMA's five-year milestone with this magnificent exhibition organised by the Queensland Art Gallery and Art Exhibitions Australia with the cooperation of the Bibliothèque nationale de France (BnF), one of France's most important national cultural heritage collections, which is lending over 100 prints and drawings to the exhibition," Ms Nolan said.

Ms Nolan said the two-site Queensland Art Gallery is now the highest attended art museum in Australia and a national cultural hub for art and ideas.

"We expect art lovers from across Australia and overseas to travel to Brisbane for this landmark exhibition - just as they have for previous blockbusters such as Valentino, Retrospective: Past/Present/Future in 2010, American Impressionism and Realism: A Landmark Exhibition from the Met in 2009 and Picasso & his collection in 2008," Ms Nolan said.

"It's exciting to see the Gallery continue to build on its stellar reputation and bring to the people of Queensland exhibitions of a world-class standard that are always accessible and inspiring."

Queensland Art Gallery director Tony Ellwood said that along with Picasso, Henri Matisse was regarded by many as having decisively changed the direction of art in the early 20th century.

"Many people know Henri Matisse as the master of colour but this exhibition will reveal why he was also the master of line," Mr Ellwood said.

"Throughout his career drawing underpinned all of his work, regardless of whether it was painting, sculpture or print."

Matisse: Drawing Life shows from December 2, 2011 to March 4, 2012. Tickets will be on sale from late October.

The exhibition is presented by Events Queensland and the Principal Sponsor is Santos.

www.qag.qld.gov.au