Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum

Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum Modeled after a Venetian palazzo, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston houses one of the world's most remarkable collections.
(4643)

🪻 A glimpse of Bellflowers in Isabella's Courtyard—learn more about these towering beauties at the link in bio.
08/27/2026

🪻 A glimpse of Bellflowers in Isabella's Courtyard—learn more about these towering beauties at the link in bio.

This portrait of young Isabella captures her at a costume ball benefiting the Boston Art Students' Association in 1889.I...
08/26/2026

This portrait of young Isabella captures her at a costume ball benefiting the Boston Art Students' Association in 1889.

Isabella sat on the organizing committee for the evening and the Boston Globe reported that all of the patronesses of the event wore Venetian costumes from the time of Paolo Veronese—the artist for whom the Museum's Veronese Room is named.

Image: Dennis Miller Bunker, Isabella Stewart Gardner, 1889. Oil on canvas. See it in the Vatichino!

As summer reaches toward fall, a remarkable conservatory plant takes center stage in the Gardner Museum Courtyard: the t...
08/24/2026

As summer reaches toward fall, a remarkable conservatory plant takes center stage in the Gardner Museum Courtyard: the towering chimney bellflower (Campanula pyramidalis).

Grown from seed by our horticulturists, these elegant spires take two years to reach their full six-foot height. This year’s display is especially abundant—visit soon to see them in bloom. 🪻

When Fatima Zahra Najd encountered the watercolor in the Blue Room, she immediately recognized the woman’s silver jewelr...
08/20/2026

When Fatima Zahra Najd encountered the watercolor in the Blue Room, she immediately recognized the woman’s silver jewelry as tazarzit, a traditional Moroccan accessory.

The white draped garment, tiled courtyard, incense ritual, and other details also reminded her of the culture and traditions she grew up with.

Join her in taking a closer look at the painting, what Sargent observed during his travels in Morocco, and the complexities of seeing this scene through the eyes of an outsider.

đź”— go.gardnermuseum.org/3TF8p0r

_______
🖼️ John Singer Sargent, Incensing the Veil, about 1880. Watercolor on paper.

Clover Adam’s name has largely been left out of art history, but her photographs, and her story, deserve another look. C...
08/19/2026

Clover Adam’s name has largely been left out of art history, but her photographs, and her story, deserve another look.

Clover began experimenting with photography in the 1880s and quickly proved to have a remarkable eye. She photographed the people around her with intimacy and wit, whether she was capturing historian George Bancroft at work or staging her Skye terriers for tea in the garden.

Isabella collected Clover’s work and displayed two of her photographs in the Museum. You can see both in slides 3 and 4, and in the galleries today.

Learn more about her: đź”— go.gardnermuseum.org/4xf4zJU.
_____

Slide 1: Marian Hooper Adams (American, 1843–1885), Marquis and Possum, the Adamses’ Skye terriers, at tea in the garden, 1883. | From the Massachusetts Historical Society

Slide 2: Unidentified photographer, Marian “Clover” Hooper Adams on horseback at Beverly Farms. 1869. | From the Massachusetts Historical Society.

Slide 3: Marian Hooper Adams (American, 1843–1885), General Nelson A. Miles, 1885. | See it in the Long Gallery

Slide 4: Marian Hooper Adams (American, 1843–1885), George Bancroft, 1883. Albumen print, 11.7 x 19.3 cm (4 5/8 x 7 5/8 in.) | See it in the Blue Room.

Slide 5: Where to find Clover's work at the Gardner
.

As you explore the gallery, look for the light. Isabella often placed favorite paintings near windows, where they would ...
08/18/2026

As you explore the gallery, look for the light.

Isabella often placed favorite paintings near windows, where they would be bathed in warm light to illuminate their beauty.

Here’s an example from the Titian Room, where the painting Christ Carrying the Cross is on view. What others can you spot?

__
đź–Ľ: Giovanni Bellini (Italian, about 1431-1436 - 1516), Christ Carrying the Cross, about 1505-1510. Oil and tempera on poplar panel. Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Boston.

Isabella Stewart Gardner believed she was buying a Titian. Instead, she brought home a rare painting by Sofonisba Anguis...
08/17/2026

Isabella Stewart Gardner believed she was buying a Titian. Instead, she brought home a rare painting by Sofonisba Anguissola, one of the first European women to achieve lasting fame as an artist.

Known for her sensitive, lifelike portraits, Anguissola earned the admiration of artists including Michelangelo and later served at the Spanish court. Her success was remarkable for a woman of her time, and her career helped make greater recognition possible for the women artists who followed.

See this extraordinary painting up close in the Titian Room.

🖼️: Sofonisba Anguissola, Juana of Austria and a Young Girl (detail), 1561-1562. Oil on canvas.

Who's Laughing in the Gothic Room? In 1903, American actress, singer, and poet Gretchen Osgood Warren sat with her daugh...
08/14/2026

Who's Laughing in the Gothic Room?

In 1903, American actress, singer, and poet Gretchen Osgood Warren sat with her daughter Rachel in the Gardner Museum’s Gothic Room while John Singer Sargent painted their portrait.

The finished work, now at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, is poised and serene.

But these two snapshots from our archives capture a different side of this mother-daughter relationship. Swipe to catch them in the moment—smiling, laughing, and enjoying each other’s company.

_________
đź“·: John Templeman Coolidge (Boston, 1856 - 1945), John Singer Sargent Painting Mrs. Fiske Warren (Gretchen Osgood) and her daughter Rachel in the Gothic Room, 1903. Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Boston.

🖼️: John Singer Sargent (American, 1856–1925), Mrs. Fiske Warren (Gretchen Osgood) and Her Daughter Rachel, 1903. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Gift of Mrs. Rachel Warren Barton and Emily L. Ainsley Fund. Photograph © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

There's a portrait of Isabella on the wall in the Blue room. Have you ever spotted it?This tiny study of Isabella may ha...
08/14/2026

There's a portrait of Isabella on the wall in the Blue room. Have you ever spotted it?

This tiny study of Isabella may have been a preparatory drawing for Zorn’s portrait in oil, on display in the Short Gallery. Much like in that final painting, Gardner’s face is portrayed from the right; with her open mouth and curious expression.

There's another not-so-secret image of Isabella on the first floor of the Palace. Do you know where it is?

—
🖼️: Anders Zorn, Study for Isabella Stewart Gardner in Venice, 1894. Pencil and red chalk on paper.

This little porcupine is missing its quills! Can you guess the intended use for this adorable woodland creature on the d...
08/12/2026

This little porcupine is missing its quills! Can you guess the intended use for this adorable woodland creature on the desk in the Little Salon?

Leave your guesses below!

Answer: go.gardnermuseum.org/4oha5I5

Address

25 Evans Way
Boston, MA
02115

Opening Hours

Monday 11am - 5pm
Wednesday 11am - 5pm
Thursday 11am - 9pm
Friday 11am - 5pm
Saturday 11am - 5pm
Sunday 11am - 5pm

Telephone

(617) 566-1401

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Establishment

Send a message to Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum:

Shortcuts

Share

Category