I first saw Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in a Google photos before our Boston trip. But that photo did not do justice of how beautiful this place really is. After ticketing, we entered a glass corridor that connected Renzo Piano's extension with the old building. The interior, with its brick walls and limited lighting, plunged us into darkness. Then, with one more step, our hearts skipped a beat as our eyes began to discern the outlines of the gardens unfolding in front of us.
Born in New York City on April 14, 1840, into an affluent family, Isabella Stewart Gardner was attracted to the intellectual circles of Boston and Cambridge. She initiated the construction of her museum in 1899, completing it in late 1901. Isabella took up residence on the private fourth floor and personally curated the artworks on the first three floors. Between 1901 and 1902, she arranged her diverse collection of paintings, sculptures, tapestries, furniture, manuscripts, rare books, and decorative arts. Her dedication to collecting and rearranging artworks continued throughout her lifetime.
Isabella Stewart Gardner Portrait on the 4th floor, together with some other art pieces.
At first, I wasn't particularly impressed with the museum's collections. The crowds and noise, along with the reliance on QR codes for descriptions, left me underwhelmed. However, as I spent more time exploring, I began to notice a common thread running through multiple rooms of the collection – Isabella's distinct and captivating sense of art and style. Whether it was the wallpaper, rugs, or sculptures, everything initially appeared somewhat chaotic. Yet, it all seemed to find its rightful place in her vision. The curation skillfully guided us from room to room, connecting the dots until we eventually found ourselves in the garden again. There, we were overwhelmed by the depth of meaning in her carefully curated collection. Each piece reflected Isabella's thoughts, personality, and taste remarkably well, revealing the true essence of her artistic vision.
Louis Kronberg_In the dressing room,1910
Isabella and her friend, artist Louis Kronberg, shared a love of the stage. Kronberg painted many performing artists including this Parisian ballerina lacing up her shoes.
John Singer Sargent_El Jaleo, 1882
" Sargent’s monumental painting, based on drawings he made in southern Spain in 1879, is named for an Andalusian dance and is roughly translated as “the ruckus.This is a painting you can hear as well as see: heels clicking, fingers snapping, hands clapping, the sounds of singing and guitars."
Giovanni Bellini _Christ Carrying the Cross, 1505-1510
"The subject has been excerpted from narrative representations of Christ carrying the cross to Mount Calvary. However, lacking distracting details or any indication of setting, this image focuses instead on the tear-streaked face of Christ, who stares out at us melancholically, as well as the knotty wood cross over which he casts a shadow. It is an intimate and intensely personal depiction of a suffering more emotional than physical."
The descriptions provided here are subject to copyright protection by the museums and their respective curators.
Boston Sep 09- Sep 15, 2023.
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