Displaying items by tag: morgan great hall

Starting this week, the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art will be something it hasn't been in recent memory: overwhelming.

When the museum unveils the final stage of its multi-year renovation this week, it will be the first time in 50 years that every gallery in the museum is in use, and its exhibit space will be larger than it's ever been.

"When entering Morgan Great Hall, people will gasp, or that's what we're hoping," said museum Director Susan Talbott. "This is the most number of paintings I believe we've had [on exhibit simultaneously], ever."

The Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art will display rarely-exhibited tapestries from the eighteenth century in its soaring Morgan Great Hall during the final phase of the museum’s five-year, $33 million renovation. The large, intricate tapestries-which depict the saga of Greek hero Jason-will be on view through April 2015, at which point the Great Hall will be transformed in preparation for the Sept. 19 grand reopening of the Morgan Memorial Building.

The Jason Tapestries are enormous in size-ranging in height up to 14 feet, and in width up to 24 feet-presenting a challenge for curators in exhibiting them on a regular basis.