Web Exclusive

Haggerty launches online collection

By Jessie Bazan, Comm '14

Robert Rauschenberg's 5:29 Bay Shore, a color lithograph, is just one of the many pieces you'll find online.

Salvador Dali. Andy Warhol. Francesco Trevisani. These are just a few of the many notable artists whose works grace the walls of the Haggerty Museum of Art. But the Haggerty's space limitations have meant that it has never been able to display even a fraction of its 5,000-plus works at once — until now. Thanks to the museum's new online database, which launched in August, art enthusiasts around the globe now have access to Marquette's impressive compilation. The online collection debuted with some 1,400 pieces and will continue to grow as more artwork is acquired. 

The online collection took about six months to put into action after two years of planning, according to Haggerty Registrar John Loscuito. He cites Marc Chagall's "The Bible Series" as one of the gems of the online collection. Made up of 105 etchings, Loscuito notes, "it's a tough thing to see any other way."

The online collection was long overdue, says Wally Mason, director of the Haggerty. Based on recent user testing, it has been a big hit so far.

"Our art museum is all about access," Mason says. "Making the permanent collection accessible online is another way of reaching out to a larger audience, which could be students, scholars and collectors. The walls of the museum have expanded."

View the online gallery.