Owned and operated by the Charles Morse Foundation, today you can explore the Morse Museum’s 30,000 square feet of space, surrounding shops and restaurants at Winter Park during your three hour visit to the museum.
Louis Comfort Tiffany
At the heart of the Morse Museum is the Louis Comfort Tiffany Collection. Stained glass windows, mosaics, blown glass and ceramics are just some of the American artist’s works. Associated with the Art Nouveau and Aesthetic movements and affiliated with prestigious group of designers known as the Associated Artists, Louis Comfort Tiffany is arguably America’s most creative and prolific designer of the 19th century.
Collections
While the invaluable Louis Comfort Tiffany Collection is the centerpiece of the Morse Museum, other treasures including American decorative art from 19th century to the 20th century and Arts and Crafts can also be found among the collections and also support the museum’s galleries and exhibits.
The Tiffany Collection
Described by Vivienne Couldrey as “the most important collection of Tiffany material in the world today”, the Louis Comfort Tiffany Collection at the Morse Museum includes works from every medium Tiffany explored throughout his lifetime. Glass items like windows and buttons, paintings and watercolors, furniture, lamps and pottery are just some of the works that you will find in the Tiffany Collection.
American Decorative Art and Sculptures
The Morse Museum boasts an extensive collection of over 800 pieces of American pottery which includes 500 pieces of Rockwood. In addition, American leaded-glass windows by Frank Lloyd, Louis Sullivan, John La Farge and sculptures by Thomas Crawford, Hiram Power and John Rogers also reside in the American Decorative Art and Sculptures Collection. Other holdings in this collection include European 15th and 16th centruy stained glass, jewelry, ceramics, metalwork and furniture.
Painting and Graphic Art
Delight in the Morse Museum’s paintings and prints. While paintings by Samuel F.B Morse, Thomas Doughty, George Inness and John Singer can be found in these holdings, prints by Grant Wood, Childe Hassam, John Steuart Curry and Edward Hopper complete the Painting and Graphic Art Collection.
European and Miscellaneous Collections
Further holdings that can be seen throughout the Morse Museum correlate with the museum’s core collections. These include carnival glass, metalwork, textiles, costumes and outdoor commercial signs of modern American design.
Exhibits
Exhibitions throughout the museum’s galleries give visitors the opportunity to explore the museum’s extensive permanent collections. Develop a better understanding of the ever-changing American arts as you pass through the museum’s many exhibitions.
As you explore the first three galleries at the Morse Museum you’ll notice the diversity in Louis Comfort Tiffany’s works. Hundreds of remarkable objects like leaded windows, metalwork, lamps and pottery can be seen throughout.
Louis Comfort Tiffany’s Laurelton Hall
Appreciate the art and architectural objects from Louis Comfort Tiffany’s Long Island home. The Morse Museum’s newest wing is the first to allow visitors access to the items in Laurelton Hall.
Louis Comfort Tiffany’s Life and Art
Few artists have been as enthusiastic and productive as Louis Comfort Tiffany. Examine Tiffany’s aesthetical views toward decorative arts. Objects, archival documents and artifacts made by Tiffany over the span of his life reflect his diverse approach toward decorative arts.
Lifelines- Forms and Themes of Art Nouveau
Prominent across Europe and America from 1895 to 1915, Art Nouveau artists sought to change the look and feel of the objects we use in our daily lives. Learn about the major elements of Art Nouveau through a number of works that will enlighten you.
Arts and Crafts from the Morse Collection
The Arts and Crafts movement originated in Britain in the late 19th century and later spread to America. This exhibit will inspire you to create, highlighting unique arts and crafts objects from the Museum’s collection.
Focus Exhibition: Lockwood De Forest’s The Wreck
Develop an appreciation for the creation, context and symbolism of American art. The 1880 oil painting The wreck, by American artist and decorator Lockwood de Forest explores the struggle of human existence. Further works in the exhibit include other de Forest oil paintings and analyses.
Secrets of Tiffany Glassmaking
Learn the secrets behind Tiffany’s glassmaking skills. Featuring photographs, models, tools and art objects, Secrets of Tiffany Glassmaking explores mosaics, molded glass jewels, windows and lamps made by Louis Comfort Tiffany.
Paintings from the Morse Collection
Other prominent 19th century paintings from the Morse Collection are also on display. Take the time to appreciate the careful detail in 20, 19th century style, portraitures, genre scenes and landscapes.
Art Jewelry, Favrile Metalwork & Precious Glass by Louis Tiffany
Admire 11 pieces of jewelry designed by Tiffany for the new art jewelry division at Tiffany & Co. after the death of his father in 1905. 19 other unique objects can also be seen in the Art Jewelry, Favrile metalwork & Precious Glass by Louis Tiffany exhibit.
Tiffany Chapel
Originally created in 1893 for the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago, Tiffany Chapel is one of Louis Comfort Tiffany’s finest works. Opened to the public for the first time in over 100 years at the Morse Museum in 1999, the mosaic and glass masterpiece helped Tiffany gain international recognition.
Shopping in the Museum Shop
Take home something special for yourself or a gift for a loved one. Inspired by the works of Louis Comfort Tiffany, the Museum Shop is home to jewelry, stained-glass panels, glass bowls, vases, books and many other items derived from the museum’s collection.