Central
Courtyard of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
A patron with exquisite taste and a zest for life, Isabella
Stewart Gardner traveled the globe for over three decades,
assembling piece by piece one of the world's most remarkable
art collections. Her interests ranged from Rembrandt,
Titian, Sargent, Whistler, and Matisse to architectural
antiquities, medieval stained glass windows, tapestries,
painted leather "wallpaper" and rare books. In 1903,
the "palace" she built as a museum to house her collection
was opened to the public. She personally directed the
installation of the entire collection. It remains on
permanent display exactly as she willed it, creating
complex conservation challenges. Though she died in
1924, her vision that art should be a transforming experience
is still the guiding principle of the museum.
