Lovely tribute piece. I remember visiting this museum as a kid and the great art theft. And I can relate about the research on her and then only using a passing reference in your novel. It's often the case but what an amazing rabbit hole you followed.
Thanks, Sharon! Yes, I know you can relate about those research rabbit holes! ISG is deserving of her own novel, and now she’s got one (Lioness of Boston).
Gardner is even more interesting than I realized. I’ll have to read the biography! And that photo of her with Jackie is heartbreaking when you know the context. Thanks, Sarah.
Agree, it is heartbreaking! And so rare to see a smile like that in a photo of that era. The new biography is really good—one of my favorite books this year.
Great article, thank you! It inspires me to look further into the cultural life of my maternal, American, grandmother. They were well off, travelled widely and collected paintings and books, commissioning and supporting contemporary artists between the 1880s and the 1920s. The purchasing power was considerable across the Atlantic at that time. Must find out more !
Sarah, this was a delight, both for the story and your complementing photos. Isabella’s spirit fills her museum to this day. I can’t wait to read the new biography.
Oh, that is so true—her spirit still fills her museum. I think you’ll really enjoy the new biography. As Etta noted, it is excellent! Natalie Dykstra is a wonderful writer.
I haven't been to the Isabelle Stewart Gardner museum in years but my mom took us when we were kids and i visited a few times as a young adult. Such a great museum. And I've always loved that portrait of her by Sargeant. This reminded me of a book I bought earlier this year about a favorite artist of mine--Betye Saar, it's called Betye Saar: Heart of a Wanderer. Saar had given a talk at the Gardner Museum about her surprising kindred spirit connection to Isabelle Stewart Gardner in terms of their mutual love of travel and the ways in which the two women overlapped and shared a similar interest in traveling itself, artifacts and different religions. She and the museum used this lecture as an inspiration for this book. I love it.
Thank you, Zina! And likewise, I just read your essay, which was wonderful! Happy to have this connection, and wish I could tag Ann Kennedy Smith here!
I really enjoyed this piece and had no idea of her history or instructions about the museum. We went there on a school field trip when I was a kid and I think it’s still one of my favourite museums to date (despite travelling widely in Europe) because it’s “homey” in some ways.
So interesting to learn the personal backstory of Belle Gardner. I've been to the musuem but paid no attention to how it came to be, assuming Brahmin status of her wealthy spouse. And what a delight to learn more about her relationship to Sargent and the first days of staging her museum.
It reminds me of the John Crosby Brown collection of musical instruments from around the world in the Metropolitan named after Mrs. Mary Elizabeth Crosby Brown. She spent decades searching and collecting as an obsession, too. Another wife to an American Brahmin. https://jillswenson.substack.com/p/when-looted-artifacts-return-home
Interesting comparison! I hadn’t heard of her until your post. I imagine that at the time, all these people thought they were doing something useful, good, educational, progressive. I’m still not sure where I come down on the whole collecting issue, although ISG kept a bunch of artists and musicians afloat with her purchases and grants to them.
Glad you mentioned Natalie Dykstra’s Chasing Beauty. It is excellent! Anyone interested in Gardner should read it. ❤️
Yes, it is so good! There have been other books about her (or partially about her) but Chasing Beauty should set the standard.
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Lovely tribute piece. I remember visiting this museum as a kid and the great art theft. And I can relate about the research on her and then only using a passing reference in your novel. It's often the case but what an amazing rabbit hole you followed.
Thanks, Sharon! Yes, I know you can relate about those research rabbit holes! ISG is deserving of her own novel, and now she’s got one (Lioness of Boston).
Gardner is even more interesting than I realized. I’ll have to read the biography! And that photo of her with Jackie is heartbreaking when you know the context. Thanks, Sarah.
Agree, it is heartbreaking! And so rare to see a smile like that in a photo of that era. The new biography is really good—one of my favorite books this year.
Great article, thank you! It inspires me to look further into the cultural life of my maternal, American, grandmother. They were well off, travelled widely and collected paintings and books, commissioning and supporting contemporary artists between the 1880s and the 1920s. The purchasing power was considerable across the Atlantic at that time. Must find out more !
Oh, yes, I hope you will! And if you do, let me know! I bet she would have some stories!
Sarah, this was a delight, both for the story and your complementing photos. Isabella’s spirit fills her museum to this day. I can’t wait to read the new biography.
Oh, that is so true—her spirit still fills her museum. I think you’ll really enjoy the new biography. As Etta noted, it is excellent! Natalie Dykstra is a wonderful writer.
I haven't been to the Isabelle Stewart Gardner museum in years but my mom took us when we were kids and i visited a few times as a young adult. Such a great museum. And I've always loved that portrait of her by Sargeant. This reminded me of a book I bought earlier this year about a favorite artist of mine--Betye Saar, it's called Betye Saar: Heart of a Wanderer. Saar had given a talk at the Gardner Museum about her surprising kindred spirit connection to Isabelle Stewart Gardner in terms of their mutual love of travel and the ways in which the two women overlapped and shared a similar interest in traveling itself, artifacts and different religions. She and the museum used this lecture as an inspiration for this book. I love it.
It is a great museum, very much its own thing. And thanks for noting the Betye Saar book—I’ll go look it up!
I found you by way of Anne Kennedy Smith who very generously mentioned both of us in her last post. This essay is so lovely!
Thank you, Zina! And likewise, I just read your essay, which was wonderful! Happy to have this connection, and wish I could tag Ann Kennedy Smith here!
I really enjoyed this piece and had no idea of her history or instructions about the museum. We went there on a school field trip when I was a kid and I think it’s still one of my favourite museums to date (despite travelling widely in Europe) because it’s “homey” in some ways.
Thank you, and agree, it is kind of a homey museum, and definitely idiosyncratic. But filled with treasures.
Fascinating story Sarah, what a life Isabella lived! Would love to see the museum someday.
Thanks, Paige! Yes, I hope you’ll visit if you’re in Boston! And it’s in roughly the same neighborhood as the Boston MFA, a great museum.
Loved this. She's a character I really admire. Good luck with your book.
Thanks! I agree--she's a singular character!
I’ve always loved the history of this! Thank you for sharing a more in-depth version of her story than I knew.
Same for me, and I’ve always been curious about the Gardner museum. Thanks for reading!
Amazing, love this
Thank you, Katrin!
Fascinating. I've never been to Boston, but I'm willing to make the trip just for the ISG.
It’s a wonderful museum. And the Boston MFA, another tremendous museum, is nearby!
What a delight to learn about Isabella! You tell her story so well. And I love hearing that she started her life’s work in middle age.
Ah, thank you, Holly! And I too loved thinking about her as a midlife bloomer!
This is so good, Sarah! What a life, what an achievement. Reading about the woman who founded Poland’s first museum now - more details soon!
Thank you, Ann! Look forward to hearing more details about the woman who founded Poland’s first museum!
So interesting to learn the personal backstory of Belle Gardner. I've been to the musuem but paid no attention to how it came to be, assuming Brahmin status of her wealthy spouse. And what a delight to learn more about her relationship to Sargent and the first days of staging her museum.
Thanks! Yes, the art search and collection was a decades-long obsession for her.
And the Sargent and James friendships are worthy of a whole book, I think.
It reminds me of the John Crosby Brown collection of musical instruments from around the world in the Metropolitan named after Mrs. Mary Elizabeth Crosby Brown. She spent decades searching and collecting as an obsession, too. Another wife to an American Brahmin. https://jillswenson.substack.com/p/when-looted-artifacts-return-home
Interesting comparison! I hadn’t heard of her until your post. I imagine that at the time, all these people thought they were doing something useful, good, educational, progressive. I’m still not sure where I come down on the whole collecting issue, although ISG kept a bunch of artists and musicians afloat with her purchases and grants to them.
Collectors are such compelling characters in history. And yes, most of the biggest collections were during the progressive period.
They really are! Especially the women.