My daughter was on spring break last week and I had a nice itinerary full of activities to do and places to visit. But as New England would have it, it rained most of the week leaving us with just one day of sunshine and warm temperatures. We made the most of the situation and drove up to Boston for the day and visited this amazing place that is the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. Just as we imagined, it is a beautiful place full of music, art, horticulture and most importantly history.
Mrs. Gardner had quite a vision for her museum. At first glance, the interior courtyard of this museum resembles that of a palace you would find in Morocco. “As much as any single work of art within the Museum, most visitors take away the experience of the courtyard where the stonework arches, columns, and walls create an unforgettable impression. By integrating Roman, Byzantine, Romanesque, Gothic and Renaissance elements and stone columns, she could have created a discordant mess. Instead it is a beautiful and harmonious whole.” -ISGM 
Glor posing in one of the halls covered with large tapestries. There is another room aptly named ‘The Tapestry Room’ which is full of ten immense Flemish tapestries along the walls. The space is rich with textures and heroic scenes. They depict episodes from the lives of the ancient Persian king Cyrus the Great and the biblical patriarch Abraham. It was a collection I deeply admired!
Fun fact: the Hanging Nasturtiums on the windows is a tradition started by Isabella Stewart Gardner. The week before Easter they display its bright color which draws large crowds. Beautiful but brief, Nasturtium vines bloom for just three weeks at most during the early spring season, and require continuous care to reach the dramatic twenty foot length!
We enjoy visiting new places especially when they’re within a short drive’s distance. Glor had a great time learning about the history of the museum, its founder and the continuous care of it. Very similar to the Newport mansions we often visit, the art, the grandeur and the architecture is something to behold. And it still amazes me to know that people actually lived this way.
After learning about ‘the theft,’ we were saddened but not surprised. As is with all things in life, nothing lasts forever. It is interesting to know that the missing pieces are held by someone somewhere. I suppose Mrs. Gardner’s collection of fine arts was an obsession of sorts, but not unique, as we know there are others who hold the same passion. The collection is now heavily guarded but in full display for all to enjoy; exactly what she had envisioned…
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