📍isabella stewart gardner museum.

in the heart of boston, this museum was one of the most unique ones that i have gotten the chance to visit. apart from being a collection of impressive art, it takes you on a journey of culture and history, based on the founder isabella stewart gardner. from the moment you walked in, you are greeted with a venetian-style housing of curated work, with the structures and designs on the inside themselves a work of art. it was the founder's original vision, well played out to create a space that feels like home, rather than a formal museum space. each room was curated and planned out with such dedication that radiated through the museum.

but first...this courtyard view after you walked in was beautiful and note-worthy 🌱

the courtyard: the fresh air

one of the first things that i noticed when i walked in this museum is the sight of lush plants, flowers, and ancient sculptures that could be seen. it completely transports you into a place of serenity and peace for the few moments that you get to embrace the green. the glass roof allows all of that natural light to flow in, giving into the atmosphere even more. i definitely lingered around for quite a while taking in that view, even came back at the end of it to walk around some more.

the collection: no explanation needed

the museum is home to over 7000+ pieces, ranging from all sorts of areas of culture and historical time periods. there were pieces from europe, asia, and america, with pieces from different time periods. one of the most interesting things about this museum is the way that the pieces were displayed. you would think that they would be displayed either by country or by time period, but they were arranged by gardner’s vision instead. it might be one of the only places you will find asian ceramics right next to an italian renaissance tapestry. this made the museum so much more interesting because you really did not know what to expect. 

the heist

you could not miss the empty picture frames and not happen to wonder what went wrong and felt their presence missing. but the infamous heist of 1990 left the museum without 13 important pieces, making it largest unsolved art theft in history. the empty frames are left as a reminder of the loss that was endured, and standing right in front of them, you could not help but feel a sense of being a part of a very mysterious story. 

a very personal glimpse into her world

another really interesting part of the museum was her own work, in a way, captured beautifully in letters and memorabilia. her private rooms were full of her personality shining throughout the walls. you can tell she was passionate about collecting and she was proud of what she was able to gather and put together. so this is a little homage to this absolute queen herself. 

isabella gardner grew up in manhattan, and from an early age was introduced to and exposed to art as the academy she attended gave her exposure to art and music. after a visit to gian giacomo poldi pezzoli’s collection, she had mentioned that she wanted to do the same, and have a place for people to visit and view art. 

she and her husband, jack, traveled a lot, and ended up collected to build the world-class collection we see today. she was an art lover, and she defied all conventions and designed the museum herself (she was a bit of a rebel). you could really feel her wild spirit and it was somewhat empowering as a woman walking through her curated space. 

an art must-see

the thing that stuck with me throughout the whole experience was not necessarily just the art, although everything was just mind-blowing to look at. the place felt like you were stepping back into a different world, you were isabella. you were the wild spirit traveling around the world, living on your own terms, and if you wanted to do something, you would make it happen for yourself.

as i left the museum, i found myself thinking back to everything i experienced and how it will continue inspire visitors for generations after her. this was a definite must-see, something if you get the chance to visit you will not regret.

~ ☀️