Technology merges with art in the latest exhibition at the Center for British Art.

The new show, “Connections,” highlights the inter-relations between the various collections of paintings, sculptures, drawings and rare books and manuscripts owned by the center. It is intended to be a physical manifestation of the center’s online catalogue, which allows the public to virtually access nearly all of the center’s pieces. The exhibit also provides an opportunity to juxtapose works of art that are rarely viewed together — or rarely on view at all.

The works on display in “Connections” range from oil paintings by van Dyck, Gainsborough and Rubens, to drawings by Inigo Jones and sculptures by Henry Moore, all of which can now be viewed in the center’s online catalogue.

“As the largest collection of British art outside the United Kingdom, we are delighted to be able to share our extraordinary holdings with the world,” said Amy McDonald, public relations manager for the center.

The catalogue allows visitors to search across collections of paintings, sculptures, drawings and rare books and also download high quality images of the pieces for free. Although the center’s entire collection is not yet on the web, McDonald said that visitors can now browse through the entire paintings and sculpture collections, around 2,000 drawings and most of the rare books and manuscripts collection, with more images being uploaded over the course of the fall.

The catalogue will also allow a wider audience to view the collections available at the center and generate more interest in visiting the museum, said McDonald.

“While there is no substitution for experiencing a work of art in person, the online catalogue is also a wonderful resource for individuals who may not be able to make it to New Haven,” McDonald added.

The “Connections” exhibit aims to highlight the significance of the pieces in the online catalogue, Assistant Curator Imogen Hart said, adding that the show is also a great way of displaying the center’s own collections.

“One of the things we really wanted to do was to highlight some of the things rarely or never exhibited before,” Hart said, noting examples of Gainsborough prints and drawings that have not been on view in .

Hart added that the exhibit emulated the catalogue by showing the different ‘connections’ between the various types of media housed in the center, through the diverse range of exhibits representing works in different media.

Visitors to the “Connections” exhibit noted the range of artwork on display.

“I really enjoyed the wide variety, depth, historical spread and the interplay of small drawings with large paintings,” said New Haven resident Stanley Flink.

The exhibition will close this Sunday, Sept. 11.