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The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum

Isabella Stewart Gardner loved art, and the museum she left behind is her legacy of that love, built with her inheritance. It contains paintings and other items like manuscripts, sculptures, and textiles from around the world, dating as far back as ancient Rome and running through the 19th century.

History of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum

The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum is the work of just one woman whose love of art, and desire to share her passion with the world, turned into an art museum with an extensive collection American, European, and Asian works. The items in this museum are done in varied mediums. It has paintings, tapestries, and sculptures on display. The museum is also very involved in the community, hosting modern art exhibitions, lectures, and community programs.

The museum, originally known as Fenway Court, was founded in 1903 by its namesake, Isabella Stewart Gardner, a patron of the arts and generous philanthropist. Gardner was able to indulge her love of art when she received a $1.6 million inheritance from her father. She used this influx of funds to start her artwork collection in earnest in 1891.

Gardner soon realized that she needed a place to house her treasures. Her museum building was designed by architect Willard Sears, who modeled it on Venetian Renaissance palaces. Gardner herself had a strong influence on the look of the building. She shared her design ideas with Sears, and he used his talents to bring them to life. Once construction was complete, Gardener personally arranged her collection in the new space before opening the museum to the public on January 1, 1903. The opening ceremony featured a stirring performance by the Boston Symphony Orchestra.

Over the course of her lifetime, Gardner invited many scholars, musicians, and artists to the museum. She left a million dollar endowment to keep it running after her death in 1924, expressing a desire for her collection to be displayed “for the education and enjoyment of the public forever.” Her wish continues to be fulfilled to this day, as the museum is a popular attraction for people in the surrounding community and out-of-town visitors.

Building

The building that houses the museum is a work of art itself. It evokes the ambiance of a 15th century Venetian palace, with three stories that hold multiple galleries of artwork and an expansive interior courtyard. Although it was built mainly of new materials, it contains some fragments of European Gothic and Renaissance buildings. This led to a rumor that the entire building was imported to Boston from Venice and reconstructed.

The courtyard has a glass roof and is lush with flowers, and the building has modern columns topped by antique capitals. The floor tile was custom designed for the museum.

Collection

The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum has a collection of over 2,500 paintings, drawings, architectural designs, books, photos, rare illustrated manuscripts, letters, sculptures, pieces of furniture, textiles, ceramics, and metalwork. The museum building itself, with its strong Venetian flavor, is a perfect setting for the eclectic collection. The time frame for the museum pieces runs from ancient Rome through medieval times in Europe, the Italian Renaissance, and 19th-century France and America. It also features works from Asia and the Middle East. Among the well-known artists represented in the collection are Michelangelo, Rembrandt, Botticelli, Degas, Matisse, Manet, and Whistler.

Famous Theft

The museum was the victim of a famous theft of $500 million worth of artwork. Two thieves, pretending to be polices officers, talked their way into the museum by claiming that they were responding to a call. The two guards on duty were tricked by the fake officers. They were tied up and pushed aside while the thieves made off with works by Rembrandt, Degas, Manet, and others at their leisure. They were never caught, and the artwork still remains missing despite a $5 million reward.

Visiting the Museum

The museum is open to visitors Tuesday through Sunday. There is an admission charge, but college students get a discount and anyone named Isabella gets in free in honor of the founder. Children under age 18 are also free. You can buy admission tickets at the museum's front desk. You can eat at the Gardner Cafe when you visit and purchase a souvenir from the onsite gift shop.

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The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum