Summer 2024 Get Away (Part 2)

/

This week I’m focusing on the Isabella Stewart Gardener Museum in Boston, MA. We visited Monday August 5th - during the Boston leg of our vacation. The museum is closed on Tuesday.

ISABELLA STEWART GARDNER 1888

The Museum was the passion project of Isabella Stewart Gardner (1840-1924).

In 1891 Isabella inherited $1.75 million upon her father’s death and with those funds began collecting art on a larger scale.

Her purchase in 1892 at auction of Johannes Vermeer's The Concert was her first major acquisition. After acquiring Rembrandt’s Self-Portrait, Age 23 in 1896, Isabella and her husband Jack L. Gardner decided their collection needed more space than their home and began thinking about a museum.

Rembrandt van Rijn, Self-Portrait, Age 23, 1629

After her husband’s death from a stroke in 1898, Isabella purchased land in the marshy Fenway area of Boston and hired architect Willard T. Sears to build Fenway Court in the style of a 15th century Venetian palace - specifically Palazzo Barbaro where the Gardners stayed while in Venice. It was built between 1898-1901. Isabella was deeply involved in every aspect of the design, leading Sears say that he was merely the structural engineer making her design possible. There is a story of Isabella climbing a ladder to show workers the texture and color of finish she wanted for the walls.

The building comprises 3 floors of galleries for visitors around a central courtyard. Mrs. Gardner used the 4th floor as a private residence. It is not open to the public.

Isabella spent a year installing her collection mixing art, furniture, objects, sculpture and textiles from different cultures and time periods. As you read further you will see images of the map visitors are given - there are no name plates by the art. To me the museum feels very much like a home. Very Maximalist! Opening day was January 1, 1903 with a performance by members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and a menu that included champagne and doughnuts.

Fenway Court as the museum was originally known  during Isabella Stewart Gardner's life.

She was a supporter of artists. Here you see her friend John Singer Sargent, the first artist in residence using the Gothic room to paint Mrs. Warren and her daughter Rachel in 1903.

Isabella continued to grow the collection thorough her lifetime. When she died in 1924, her will created an endowment of $1 million and outlined stipulations for the support of the museum, including the charge that her collection be permanently exhibited "for the education and enjoyment of the public forever" according to her aesthetic vision and intent. Meaning - the collection can not be altered.

In January 2012 the New Wing encompassing the entrance added over 70,000 square feet to the existing Fenway Court. The addition connects to the existing building by way of a breezeway.

The map highlights selected pieces in the collection

Yellow Room - First Floor

Art in the Yellow Room  - Top Right is  The Terrace, Saint-Tropez Henri Matisse 1904

The Roman Tower, Andernach, J.M.W. Turner 1817

The Macknight Room - First Floor

Short Gallery the Second Floor

Before I share the Dutch Room with it’s empty frames - some of you may be familiar with the museum because of the theft of 13 works that happened March 18, 1990. Six of the pieces were from the Dutch Room.

It’s both fascinating and horrific. These pieces have yet to be recovered and the Museum is offering a $10 million reward for information leading to the recovery of the stolen works.

6 Paintings. 5 Works On Paper. 2 Objects.

Dutch Room - Second Floor

This empty frame is what remains of Christ In The Storm On The Sea Of Galilee the only seascape by Rembrandt van Rijn.

This empty frame held the painting Landscape With Obelisk by Govaert Flinck 1638.

There is a small empty frame attached to the side of the cabinet which held Portrait Of The Artist As A Young Man by Rembrandt van Rijn underneath his Self-Portrait, Age 23, 1629 the other work here is A Man In A Fur Coat by Albrecht Dürer, 1521.

Titian Room - Third Floor

So lovely with the sun streaming in.

Chapel - Third Floor

Soisson stained glass window in the

Gothic Room - Third Floor

There are Moravian Tiles on the floor in this space in addition to being on the floor in the Dutch Room, Long Gallery, and the Tapestry Room. The museum has spent over a decade cleaning and adding a protectant to theses tiles to conserve them.

I adding this small book to the permanent collection here at the Chalet.

The museum is exquisite with endless treasures and I could have spent countless hours wandering around. I highly recommend a visit. But, after a few hours we made our way outside and hopped on the T and made our way to Boyleston Street and our next adventure.

When we returned from vacation we re-watched This Is A Robbery the 2021 Netflix documentary and I listened to the 2018 podcast Last Seen - the website has a companion story.

And just yesterday I picked up the 2024 book Chasing Beauty: The Life of Isabella Stewart Gardner and the 2005 DVD STOLEN from my local library. I am a bit obsessed at the moment friends! ha

Next week I’ll share our visit to Newport, Rhode Island. Til next time be well friends and I’ll see you over on Instagram!