Celebrating Women's History
March marks Women’s History Month in the United States, a time to commemorate women’s role in history and contemporary society. To celebrate Women’s History, Gift at the Gardner curated these collections created for all ages. Click the links below to go to each collection:
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Female Figures: Ornaments celebrating women in art and history
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Learning About Women's History: Games and books for children
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Isabella Inspired: Offerings honoring the tenacious spirit of Isabella Stewart Gardner
To browse the women artisans in Gift at the Gardner collection, click here.
Isabella Stewart Gardner: A Life
$24.95
Isabella Stewart Gardner (1840–1924) assembled an extraordinary collection of art from diverse cultures and eras—and built a Venetian-style palazzo in Boston to share these exquisite treasures with the world. But her life and work remains shrouded in myth. Separating fiction and fact, this book paints an unforgettable portrait of Gardner, drawing on her substantial personal archive and including previously unpublished findings to offer new perspectives on her life and her construction of identity.
Nathaniel Silver and Diana Seave Greenwald shed new light on Gardner’s connections to minority communities in Boston, her views on suffrage and other issues of the day, the sources of her and her husband’s wealth, and her ties to politicians, writers, and artists. What emerges is a multifaceted portrait of a trailblazing collector and patron of the arts—from Italian Renaissance paintings to Chinese antiquities—who built a museum unprecedented in its curatorial vision.
Beautifully illustrated, this book challenges any portrayal of Gardner as a straightforward feminist hero, revealing instead an exceptional, complex woman who created a legendary museum and played a vibrant and influential role in the art world.
By Nathaniel Silver, former William and Lia Poorvu Curator of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum Collection, and Diana Seave Greenwald, current William and Lia Poorvu Curator of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum Collection
112 pages
Published by Princeton University Press, 2022
6.25 x 9.75 in.
Mrs. Jack: A Biography of Isabella Stewart Gardner
$10.95
An in-depth biography of Isabella Stewart Gardner of Boston, via New York, in the 19th century. An American charmer and art collector, Isabella Stewart Gardner and her husband Jack kept company with many leading cultural figures of the day including Henry James, John Singer Sargent and James McNeill Whistler.
By Louise Hall Tharp
408 pages
Reprinted by CS Graphics, 2016
Paperback
8 x 6 inches
Isabella Stewart Gardner in Venice Ornament
$16.95
This ornament is based on Isabella Stewart Gardner's likeness in Anders Zorn's 1984 portrait of her at the Palazzo Barbaro in Venice, where she often stayed and entertained an international set of cultural celebrities. This depiction perfectly captures Gardner’s vibrant personality as she comes in from a balcony to encourage dinner party guests to join her for the display of fireworks over the Grand Canal.Seeing this painting on display in Gardner’s museum in 1906, Anne O’Hagan Shinn, a suffragette and an early commentator on the collection, described the painting as a “flamelike incarnation of vigor and life—impression helped, doubtless, by the wonderful yellow gown which swathes the strong and supple figure that seems to leap from the canvas.”
Ornaments of other subjects, artists, authors, and notable figures inspired by Isabella and the Museum also available. Complete your collection of Gardner Museum-exclusive ornaments with Zorn's vision of the Museum's founder!
RBG Ornament
$16.95
This hand-sewn ornament celebrates the iconic Associate Supreme Court Justice, Ruth Bader Ginsburg. This advocate for gender equality and women's rights would have surely been of a favorite of trailblazing Isabella Stewart Gardner.
Are your family holidays getting interesting? Dissent like RBG!
Ornaments of other subjects, artists, authors, and notable figures inspired by Isabella and the Museum also available.
Jane Austen Ornament
$16.95
This ornament features 18th century author Jane Austen, holding a quill and a manuscript. Austen was born in 1775; she authored several major novels, many published posthumously, after her death is 1817.
To borrow from Jane herself, "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single person in possession of a Christmas tree, must be in want of ornaments."
Ornaments of other subjects, artists, authors, and notable figures inspired by Isabella and the Museum also available.
Frida Kahlo Ornament
$16.95
Frida Kahlo de Rivera was a Mexican artist who painted many portraits, self-portraits, and works inspired by the nature and artifacts of Mexico.
This ornament of Frida Kahlo shows the painter with palette and brush in hand, wearing a beautifully colored dress.
Ornaments of other subjects, artists, authors, and notable figures inspired by Isabella and the Museum also available.
Blue Suffragist Ornament
$16.95
Isabella Stewart Gardner was an ardent supporter of women’s educational and social advancement during her lifetime. Throughout her life, she kept in close company with many female trailblazers, including Julia Ward Howe.
This ornament of an American Suffragist wearing a 'Votes for Women' banner is a perfect addition to your Christmas tree this holiday season.
Ornaments of other subjects, artists, authors, and notable figures inspired by Isabella and the Museum also available.
Botticelli's Venus Ornament
$16.95
The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum is home to three of Sandro Botticelli's finest works: The Tragedy of Lucretia, The Nativity, and Virgin and Child with an Angel.This ornament features the figure of the goddess Venus arriving at the shore after her birth when she had emerged from the sea fully grown. She is instantly recognizable from Botticelli's The Birth of Venus, currently on display in the Uffizi Gallery in Italy.
Ornaments of other subjects, artists, authors, and notable figures inspired by Isabella and the Museum also available!
Harriet Tubman Ornament
$16.95
Harriet Tubman was an 19th century abolitionist and political activist. She was born into slavery circa 1822. Tubman escaped slavery and assisted in some thirteen missions to rescue approximately seventy enslaved people, family and friends via the Underground Railroad.
This ornament of the heroic Harriet Tubman emphasizes the danger associated in her missions. She carries a lamp to help guide her way, a shotgun over her shoulder, and a messenger bag.
Ornaments of other subjects and historical figures associated with the Gardner Museum also available.
St. Nicolas specializes in bespoke handmade hanging decorations. For over 25 years, they worked with a small charity in Thailand that helps disadvantaged rural women find work in their community, rather than having to leave home. Today, some 200 skilled women work at home hand sewing the decorations and many have been doing so for more than ten years!
As their business grew, more innovative designs were needed, so they began working with a partner in India. The Indian-made ornaments use the traditional method of zardozi embroidery, an intricate sewing technique that was developed to embellish courtly robes with gold wires and jewels. Zardozi work is rare, but because of the skill that is needed to create the ornaments, it continues to be handed down from generation to generation.
Belle's Rose Tea
$16.00
For centuries, Chinese tea merchants have carefully created blends for tea drinkers in both London and Boston.Featuring aromatic rose petals, this Chinese black tea was a popular blend for tea parties at the beginning of the 20th century. Isabella Stewart Gardner (called ‘Belle’ by her close friends) hosted many such tea events in her Fenway Palace.
This tea comes from our collection of loose teas inspired by the Museum and blended by Elmwood Inn Fine Teas.
Ingredients: Black Chinese tea, rose petals
NET WT. 3.5 oz (100G)
Elizabeth Bennet Ornament
$16.95
Elizabeth Bennet—also known to friends and family as Eliza or Lizzy—is the protagonist of the 1813 novel Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. In this beautiful handmade ornament, she wears a bonnet and a hand-embroidered dress.Ornaments of other subjects, artists, authors, and notable figures inspired by Isabella and the Museum also available.
Medusa Ornament
$16.95
Evocative of the gorgon that lies at the very heart of the Museum, this ornament of Medusa with her serpentine locks is said to have the power to ward off evil (and will surely not turn you into stone).
Ornaments of other subjects, artists, authors, and notable figures inspired by Isabella and the Museum also available.
Rosie the Riveter Ornament
$16.95
With her hair in a red kerchief and her sleeves pulled up, Rosie is ready to work on your tree! As a reminder to stay strong, Rosie flexes her forearm.
This handmade ornament of the riveting Rosie makes a great gift for all the strong women in your life.
Ornaments of other subjects, artists, authors, and notable figures inspired by Isabella and the Museum also available.
El Jaleo Puzzle
$26.00
El Jaleo
1882
John Singer Sargent, American, 1856-1925
Images like El Jaleo lean toward the daring, risky, unconventional, dramatic, erotically off-center, and odd. Because nomadic groups were believed to ignore ethical principles and exalted superstition over orthodox religion, they endured oppression in numerous countries during the nineteenth century, but artists and bohemians idealized them as free spirits. Bizet's opera Carmen, first performed in Paris in 1875, scandalized the public with its tale of a proud, lusty Andalusian protagonist torn between an army officer and a toreador.
During his travels in Spain in 1879, Sargent was mulling over a major work of art in which he could express his love of Romani music, dance, and picturesque costumes. On his return to Paris, he set to work on a wide horizontal picture whose proportions simulated the shallow stage space of popular musical establishments. He named the painting El Jaleo to suggest the name of a dance, the jaleo de jerez, while counting on the broader definition of jaleo, which includes ruckus or hubbub. The painting was exhibited at the Paris Salon of 1882 with the more explicit title El Jaleo: Danse des gitanes (Dance of the Gypsies).
The best evidence of his own excited reactions to live dance performances can be found in the pencil sketches of a Spanish woman that he included in an album assembled for Isabella Stewart Gardner. They are among his fastest, most intuitive works. In one drawing, a torrent of fast hard lines suggests the twisting shawl from which a majestic neck and outstretched vamping arms emerge.
This 300 piece puzzle features John Singer Sargent's El Jaleo, displayed prominently in the Spanish Cloister at Fenway. The puzzle comes in a paperboard box featuring Sargent's work, so you can safely store your puzzle.
Puzzle measure 11 x 17 inches
300 pieces
Full Medusa Mosaic Coaster
$18.00
In 1892, an ancient villa was discovered just north of Rome, near the villa of Augustus’s wife, Livia. Several well-preserved mosaic floors adorned the baths of the villa. Jack and Isabella Gardner inspected the mosaics in 1895 and purchased this floor in 1897. The delicate tracery of this mosaic resembles those made in Pompeii around 25 AD (the late second or third style), but brick stamps indicate that it was laid a century later, during the reign of Emperor Hadrian.
Inspired by a work that now lies in the very heart of the Museum, this coaster of the full Courtyard Mosaic is sure to be a touchstone for your experience at the Gardner.=
Tile edges are weathered as part of the design.
Crafted from Italian marble and heat-resistant cork backing
4 x 4 inches
Made in the USA
Ruckus Tea
$16.00
Inspired by John Singer Sergeants masterwork El Jaleo, this energetic blend of Ceylon and Chinese black teas is enhanced with dried Seville oranges and lemons and enhanced with the heady aroma of oil of Bergamot from the Mediterranean coast of Italy. The addition of bright blue cornflowers, lime leaves, and rose petals makes for a colorful pallet of tea that is as beautiful as it is delicious.This tea comes from our collection of loose teas inspired by the Museum and blended by Elmwood Inn Fine Teas.
Ingredients: Black teas from Sri Lanka and China, orange peel, lemon peel, oil of Bergamot, cornflowers, lime leaves, rose petals
NET WT. 3.5 oz (100G)
Red Suffragist Ornament
$16.95
Isabella Stewart Gardner was an ardent supporter of women’s educational and social advancement during her lifetime. Throughout her life, she kept in close company with many female trailblazers, including Julia Ward Howe.This ornament of an American Suffragist wearing a 'Votes for Women' banner is a perfect addition to your Christmas tree this holiday season.
Ornaments of other subjects, artists, authors, and notable figures inspired by Isabella and the Museum also available.
Women Empowerment Roundel Ornament
$16.95
"Well-behaved women rarely make history."
This phrase has been attributed to several famous women; we think Isabella Stewart Gardner would agree with the sentiment!
Ornaments of other subjects, artists, authors, and notable figures inspired by Isabella and the Museum also available.
Isabella Quote Mug: "My Garden is Riotous"
$15.00
“My garden is riotous, unholy, deliriously glorious!
I wish you were here.” - Isabella Stewart Gardner in a letter to Bernard Berenson dated June 24, 1898
When Isabella Stewart Gardner agreed to sponsor the career of an aspiring young writer named Bernard Berenson, neither dreamed that together they would build one of the country’s most impressive private collections of fine art. Berenson--or B.B., as he signed off on his letters--became Mrs. Gardner’s chief art adviser and her dear friend, as well as America’s leading expert on Italian Renaissance painting.
In her missive to Berenson, Mrs. Gardner referenced the flora growing at the Gardner’s Brookline estate Green Hill, which Jack Gardner inherited from his father in 1884. Here, Mrs. Gardner continued to cultivate her lifelong love of horticulture. The spirit of Mrs. Gardner’s passion for plants blooms perennially in the Courtyard and throughout her Museum.
11 oz. ceramic mug
Dishwasher and microwave safe
Isabella Stewart Gardner, Dog Lover
$19.95
Isabella Stewart Gardner was a force to be reckoned with. She routinely went toe-to-toe with major museums and titans of industry to purchase masterpieces, created a museum unlike any other, and was famous for consistently flouting the social conventions that governed women of her time. However, this book shows another side of Isabella that readers may not expect: her love of dogs.
Richly illustrated with images from the collection and museum archives, this volume allows readers to meet Isabella's favorite dogs (Kitty Wink and Patty Boy), see the litters of puppies she bred, and discover how her dogs were a comfort toward the end of her life. Usually stern in photographs, Isabella - like many people - could not help grinning when posing for photos with puppies. This enthusiasm for dogs is also evident in her correspondence. As she wrote excitedly to her art advisor Bernard Berenson: "Part of my morning's work has been to try to induce two 9 days old fox terrier pups to open their eyes again. They did once; and then clapped them to, with a vim that seemed to say that the box they found themselves in was not the ideal they had come to this world to see!" Even the dogs of celebrities - both celebrities she knew personally, and others she admired from afar - drew her attention. This book also features some of the many photographs she collected of notable people and their dogs, like the painter Anders Zorn and his adorable pup Mouche and Caesar, the regal and loyal terrier who belonged to King Edward VII and even marched in the monarch's funeral parade.
From gathering Renaissance masterpieces to raising Fox Terriers, this book shows that Isabella approached all her tasks with enthusiasm and dedication. By learning about her love of her canine companions, this book presents a more human side of Isabella than typically on display.
Written by Diana Seave Greenwald, William and Lia Poorvu Curator of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum Collection
40 pages
Published by Paul Holberton Publishing, 2020
Hardcover
9 x 9 inches
Rosa Parks Ornament
$16.95
American Civil Rights activist Rosa Parks showed great courage while protesting segregation and racial injustice. We celebrate her as one of the leaders of the Civil Rights Movement and for starting the Montgomery Bus Boycott, one of the largest social movements in history.
St. Nicolas specializes in bespoke handmade hanging decorations. For over 25 years, they worked with a small charity in Thailand that helps disadvantaged rural women find work in their community, rather than having to leave home. Today, some 200 skilled women work at home hand sewing the decorations and many have been doing so for more than ten years!
As their business grew, more innovative designs were needed, so they began working with a partner in India. The Indian-made ornaments use the traditional method of zardozi embroidery, an intricate sewing technique that was developed to embellish courtly robes with gold wires and jewels. Zardozi work is rare, but because of the skill that is needed to create the ornaments, it continues to be handed down from generation to generation.
Gardner Tassel Bookmark
$2.95
Isabella Stewart Gardner
1888
John Singer Sargent (Florence, 1856 - 1925, London)
Oil on canvas
Mrs. Gardner sat for Sargent during his visit to Boston in January 1888. He was paid $3000 for the portrait, which was exhibited to great acclaim at Boston’s St. Botolph Club. The work also inspired gossip and legend: someone jokingly titled it “Woman: An Enigma,” while others believed that the sensuous display of flesh deliberately echoed the scandal recently created by Sargent’s Madame X. Mrs. Gardner herself said that she rejected eight renderings of the face until she was satisfied.
Jack Gardner seems to have asked his wife not to publicly show the portrait again while he was alive, and indeed the portrait was placed in the Gothic Room, which remained private until Mrs. Gardner’s death.
In its gallery, surrounded by altarpieces, stained glass, and religious statuary, the sacramental quality noted by nineteenth-century reviewers is even more pronounced.
6 x 2 inches
Afternoon Tea
$16.00
Throughout the early 1900s, teapots in London and Boston were filled with black teas grown across the British Empire. These rich and malty blends were created with the British taste for tea with milk and sugar in mind.Afternoon Tea was created for the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum and crafted to be served as the perfect beverage for a classic afternoon tea.
This tea comes from our collection of loose teas inspired by the Museum and blended by Elmwood Inn Fine Teas.
Ingredients: Handpicked blacks teas from India, Kenya, and Sri Lanka
NET WT. 3.5 oz (100G)
Medusa Face Ornament
$16.95
Evocative of the gorgon that lies at the very heart of the Museum, this ornament of Medusa with her serpentine locks is said to have the power to ward off evil (and will surely not turn you into stone).
St. Nicolas specializes in bespoke handmade hanging decorations. For over 25 years, they worked with a small charity in Thailand that helps disadvantaged rural women find work in their community, rather than having to leave home. Today, some 200 skilled women work at home hand sewing the decorations and many have been doing so for more than ten years!
As their business grew, more innovative designs were needed, so they began working with a partner in India. The Indian-made ornaments use the traditional method of zardozi embroidery, an intricate sewing technique that was developed to embellish courtly robes with gold wires and jewels. Zardozi work is rare, but because of the skill that is needed to create the ornaments, it continues to be handed down from generation to generation.
Medusa Face Coaster
$18.00
In 1892, an ancient villa was discovered just north of Rome, near the villa of Augustus’s wife, Livia. Several well-preserved mosaic floors adorned the baths of the villa. Jack and Isabella Gardner inspected the mosaics in 1895 and purchased this floor in 1897. The delicate tracery of this mosaic resembles those made in Pompeii around 25 AD (the late second or third style), but brick stamps indicate that it was laid a century later, during the reign of Emperor Hadrian.
Inspired by a work that now lies in the very heart of the Museum, this coaster of a closeup of Medusa's face is sure to be a touchstone for your experience at the Gardner.
Tile edges are weathered as part of the design.
4 x 4 inches
Crafted from Italian marble and heat-resistant cork backing
Made in the USA
El Jaleo Magnet
$6.00
El Jaleo1882
John Singer Sargent, American, 1856-1925
Images like El Jaleo lean toward the daring, risky, unconventional, dramatic, erotically off-center, and odd. Because nomadic groups were believed to ignore ethical principles and exalted superstition over orthodox religion, they endured oppression in numerous countries during the nineteenth century, but artists and bohemians idealized them as free spirits. Bizet's opera Carmen, first performed in Paris in 1875, scandalized the public with its tale of a proud, lusty Andalusian protagonist torn between an army officer and a toreador.
During his travels in Spain in 1879, Sargent was mulling over a major work of art in which he could express his love of Romani music, dance, and picturesque costumes. On his return to Paris, he set to work on a wide horizontal picture whose proportions simulated the shallow stage space of popular musical establishments. He named the painting El Jaleo to suggest the name of a dance, the jaleo de jerez, while counting on the broader definition of jaleo, which includes ruckus or hubbub. The painting was exhibited at the Paris Salon of 1882 with the more explicit title El Jaleo: Danse des gitanes (Dance of the Gypsies).
The best evidence of his own excited reactions to live dance performances can be found in the pencil sketches of a Spanish woman that he included in an album assembled for Isabella Stewart Gardner. They are among his fastest, most intuitive works. In one drawing, a torrent of fast hard lines suggests the twisting shawl from which a majestic neck and outstretched vamping arms emerge.
2.5 x 3.5 inches
Made in the USA
Isabella Quote Mug: "Don't Spoil A Good Story By Telling The Truth"
$15.00
This mug—perfect for sipping some of our Courtyard-inspired loose leaf teas—prominently features a quote attributed to Isabella Stewart Gardner: "Don't spoil a good story by telling the truth.” This quotation captures Mrs. Gardner's knowledge of her scandalous reputation in 19th century Boston society. The perfect gift for the elaborate story teller in your life!
11 oz. ceramic mug
Dishwasher and microwave safe
Annunciation Puzzle
$26.00
This 300 piece puzzle features Piermatteo d'Amelia's The Annunciation, displayed prominently in the Raphael Room of the Museum.
The painting was made for the main altar of the Franciscan church in Amelia, a small town in Umbria near Spoleto. Since 1900, the painting has borne many different attributions, and was long known simply as the work of the Master of the Gardner Annunciation, but documents now indicate that the artist is Piermatteo d’Amelia, a pupil and assistant of Filippo Lippi.
The puzzle comes in a paperboard box featuring d'Amelia's work, so you can safely store your puzzle.
Puzzle measure 11 x 17 inches
300 pieces
The Letters of Bernard Berenson and Isabella Stewart Gardner 1887-1924
$48.00
Available exclusively through Gift at the Gardner, The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum is thrilled to offer a limited re-print of an "indispensable edition."
When Isabella Stewart Gardner agreed to sponsor the career of and aspiring young writer named Bernard Berenson, neither dreamed that together they would build one of this country's most impressive collections of Italian Renaissance painting. The correspondence between Bernard Berenson and Isabella Stewart Gardner offers fresh insight into the origins of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum and gives voice to an enduring friendship that created and nurtured it.
The more than eight hundred letters included in this volume record the evolving relationship between two singular personalities: a flamboyant socialite known for lively eccentricities and her engagement with the arts; and the brilliant connoisseur and America's leading expert on Italian Renaissance painters. Their correspondence spans nearly four decades and presents a vivid portrait of their passionate interests, their perennial travels and their liaisons with artists and intellectuals on both sides of the Atlantic, including Edith Wharton, Walter Lippmann, Sarah Bernhardt, John Singer Sargent, and George Santayana.
Mary Berenson, who abandoned her comfortable and conventional first marriage to become protégée and, later, the wife and close collaborator of Berenson, becomes correspondent after 1901. Indeed, Mrs. Gardner's hunch that she now had "two friends instead of one" is borne out in the lively series of letters from Mary, who comes to play an increasingly vital role in her husband's multifaceted achievements.
The reprint of this indispensable 1987 edition includes a new preface co-authored by Dr. Machtelt Bruggen Israels, guest researcher, University of Amsterdam, and Dr. Carl Brandon Strehlke, curator emeritus, Philadelphia Museum of Art. Together they explore the relationship between Isabella Stewart Gardner and Bernard Berenson that emerges from the correspondence. Meticulously edited and annotated by Rollin van N. Hadley, former director of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, these elegant and entertaining letters continue to be an enduring resource for art historians and others concerned with the development of connoisseurship and the evolution of taste. At the same time, they pay tribute to a remarkable museum and the very personal visions that brought it to life.
Edited and annotated by Rollin van N. Hadley, former director of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
718 pages
Published by the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, 2016
Paperback
9.1 x 1.8 x 6.4 inches
El Jaleo Silk Scarf
$160.00
El Jaleo
1882
John Singer Sargent, American, 1856-1925
Images like El Jaleo lean toward the daring, risky, unconventional, dramatic, erotically off-center, and odd. Because nomadic groups were believed to ignore ethical principles and exalted superstition over orthodox religion, they endured oppression in numerous countries during the nineteenth century, but artists and bohemians idealized them as free spirits. Bizet's opera Carmen, first performed in Paris in 1875, scandalized the public with its tale of a proud, lusty Andalusian protagonist torn between an army officer and a toreador.
During his travels in Spain in 1879, Sargent was mulling over a major work of art in which he could express his love of Romani music, dance, and picturesque costumes. On his return to Paris, he set to work on a wide horizontal picture whose proportions simulated the shallow stage space of popular musical establishments. He named the painting El Jaleo to suggest the name of a dance, the jaleo de jerez, while counting on the broader definition of jaleo,which includes ruckus or hubbub. The painting was exhibited at the Paris Salon of 1882 with the more explicit title El Jaleo: Danse des gitanes (Dance of the Gypsies).
100% Silk
Jasmine Pearl Tea
$16.00
Jasmine Pearl Tea is from our line of loose teas inspired by the art in Isabella Stewart Gardner's Collection and blended by Elmwood Inn Fine Teas.Ingredients: Hand-picked spring green tea from Fujian Province of China scented with pure Jasmine.
NET WT. 3.5 oz (100G)
El Jaleo Eyeglass Case
$20.00
El Jaleo1882
John Singer Sargent, American, 1856-1925
Images like El Jaleo lean toward the daring, risky, unconventional, dramatic, erotically off-center, and odd. Because nomadic groups were believed to ignore ethical principles and exalted superstition over orthodox religion, they endured oppression in numerous countries during the nineteenth century, but artists and bohemians idealized them as free spirits. Bizet's opera Carmen, first performed in Paris in 1875, scandalized the public with its tale of a proud, lusty Andalusian protagonist torn between an army officer and a toreador.
During his travels in Spain in 1879, Sargent was mulling over a major work of art in which he could express his love of Romani music, dance, and picturesque costumes. On his return to Paris, he set to work on a wide horizontal picture whose proportions simulated the shallow stage space of popular musical establishments. He named the painting El Jaleo to suggest the name of a dance, the jaleo de jerez, while counting on the broader definition of jaleo, which includes ruckus or hubbub. The painting was exhibited at the Paris Salon of 1882 with the more explicit title El Jaleo: Danse des gitanes (Dance of the Gypsies).
The best evidence of his own excited reactions to live dance performances can be found in the pencil sketches of a Spanish woman that he included in an album assembled for Isabella Stewart Gardner. They are among his fastest, most intuitive works. In one drawing, a torrent of fast hard lines suggests the twisting shawl from which a majestic neck and outstretched vamping arms emerge.
This beautiful hardshell eyeglass case features the painting El Jaleo by John Singer Sargent. The work's tombstone information is printed in silver on the inside of the case. The plush black lining and included microfiber cloth and will keep your glasses safe and smudge-free.
6.5 x 1.5 x 3 inches
Isabella Stewart Gardner in Venice Magnet
$6.00
Isabella Stewart Gardner in Venice1894
Anders Zorn, Swedish, 1860-1920
While visiting the Gardners in Boston in February 1894, Anders Zorn made an etching of Mrs. Gardner, which neither of them considered to be a complete success. Later that year Zorn and his wife visited the Gardners in Venice, staying for several weeks as their guests in the Palazzo Barbaro. He attempted again to make a portrait of Mrs. Gardner, but continued to struggle with the task. One evening, Mrs. Gardner stepped out into the balcony to see what was happening outside, and as she came back into the drawing-room, pushing the French windows open, Zorn exclaimed (according to Morris Carter): “Stay just as you are! That is the way I want to paint you.” He went instantly for his materials, and then and there the portrait was begun.
3.5 x 2.5 inches
Made in the USA
Isabella Quote Mug: "Win as Though You Were Used to It"
$15.00
This mug—perfect for sipping some of our Courtyard-inspired loose leaf teas—prominently features a quote attributed to Isabella Stewart Gardner: ""Win as though you were used to, it and lose as if you liked it." This quotation captures Mrs. Gardner's knowledge of her scandalous reputation in 19th century Boston society. Sip your cares away with this mug as though you were used to it and as though you liked it!
11 oz. ceramic mug
Dishwasher and microwave safe
Angelico Tea
$16.00
Discover a heavenly tea-drinking experience with this healthy, low-caffeine blend of green tea combined with enchanting herbs. Featuring lemongrass, saffron, and holy basil, Angelico Tea lifts the spirits with each sip, while the aromas of rosebuds enchant the mind, and cinnamon sweetens the tongue.This tea comes from our collection of loose teas inspired by the Museum and blended by Elmwood Inn Fine Teas.
Ingredients: Green tea, rose buds, cardamom, fennel, ginger, lemon grass, licorice, saffron and holy basil.
NET WT. 3.5 oz (100G)
Ballerina in Blue Tutu Ornament
$16.95
As evidenced by the dancing figures in Mrs. Gardner's collection (seen in works by Edgar Degas, Louis Kronberg, and John Singer Sargent to name but a few), Mrs. Gardner was very taken with dancing of all kinds.
Beautiful in blue en pointe, this ornament is sure to remind you of some of the dancers you may have enjoyed in the Palace!
Ornaments of other subjects and dancers featured in the Gardner Museum also available. Complete your collection of Gardner Museum-inspired ornaments with this ballerina!
Isabella Quote Mug: "C'est Mon Plaisir"
$15.00
This mug—perfect for sipping some of our Courtyard-inspired loose leaf teas—prominently features a quote attributed to Isabella Stewart Gardner: "C'est mon plaisir,” or "It is my pleasure." The quotation reflects Mrs. Gardner's desire to share her Museum with the public, forever. We hope your pleasure will be sipping a warm beverage out of this lovely mug!
11 oz. ceramic mug
Dishwasher and microwave safe
Titian Mug with Gift Box
$29.95
This elegant mug features Titian's interpretation of Europa, one of Jupiter's great loves, shortly after she initially meets the god disguised as a beautiful white bull. Written in gold on the mug's inside is an excerpt from a letter written by Isabella Stewart Gardner to her art advisor, Bernard Berenson, after he had secured the masterpiece for her; it reads "When comes Europa? I am feverish about it." The cup's elegant gold handle pays tribute to the painting's beautiful gold frame.
The mug comes ready to gift in a box featuring a full view of Titian's painting, as well as a quote from a letter written by Bernard Berenson after he heard word of Europa's delivery to Mrs. Gardner. The quote reads "At last...the Europa is yours."
Mug measures 3.5 x 5.75 inches (including handle)
Gift box measures 4 x 5.25 inches
Hand-wash only
Do not microwave
Estimated ship date: late-September
"Come to Tea" ISGM Journal
$28.00
8.25 x 6 inches
100 unlined pages
Isabella Quote Mug: "Come to Tea"
$15.00
This mug—perfect for sipping some of our Courtyard-inspired loose leaf teas—prominently features a quote attributed to Isabella Stewart Gardner: "I feel that either we will soon become enemies, or also forever, very, very good friends. Come to tea with me this afternoon." This quotation captures the passionate and ambitious spirit of the Founder. The perfect gift for a "very, very good friend."
11 oz. ceramic mug
Dishwasher and microwave safe
Gothic Room Isabella Magnet
$8.00
Isabella Stewart Gardner1888
John Singer Sargent (Florence, 1856 - 1925, London)
Oil on canvas
Mrs. Gardner sat for Sargent during his visit to Boston in January 1888. He was paid $3000 for the portrait, which was exhibited to great acclaim at Boston’s St. Botolph Club. The work also inspired gossip and legend: someone jokingly titled it “Woman: An Enigma,” while others believed that the sensuous display of flesh deliberately echoed the scandal recently created by Sargent’s Madame X. Mrs. Gardner herself said that she rejected eight renderings of the face until she was satisfied.
Jack Gardner seems to have asked his wife not to publicly show the portrait again while he was alive, and indeed the portrait was placed in the Gothic Room, which remained private until Mrs. Gardner’s death.
In its gallery, surrounded by altarpieces, stained glass, and religious statuary, the sacramental quality noted by nineteenth-century reviewers is even more pronounced.
Measures 5.5 inches by 2.5 inches
Made in the USA
"My Garden Is" Card
$6.25
This card—from local Big Wheel Press—prominently features a quote from Isabella Stewart Gardner. The spirit of Mrs. Gardner’s passion for plants blooms perennially in the Courtyard and throughout her Museum. The perfect card for the gardener in your life!
4.25 x 5.5 inchesPrinted on fine letterpress paper
Digital Card with Letterpress Accents, blank inside
Made in Massachusetts, USA
Frida Kahlo Bath Bomb
$9.95
Frida Kahlo is the most important Mexican painter of all time. She showed great perseverance for achieving her dreams despite all the adversities she faced. Frida was able to redefine her life through her art. Her iconic existence, unique expression and extraordinary artwork have provided humanity with continuing optimism, strength and courage for the future. She left behind a legacy that will forever impact and influence the world regardless of age, gender, nationality, and ethnicity.The Frida Kahlo Bath Bomb from Musee is the ideal gift for the feminist artist in your life! The bath bombs are handmade in the USA with ethically sourced, natural ingredients. A secret treasure is included in every bath bomb.
The bath bombs' maker–Musee– makes handcrafted, natural bath products in Madison County, Mississippi with the mission of restoring lives by providing dignified work for vulnerable people in our community. Musee primarily hires women in recovery, people with disabilities, and people who have lived in chronic poverty.
8 ounces
Single use
Ingredients: Sodium Bicarbonate, Citric Acid, Olive Oil, Fragrance Oil, Pink Grapefruit Essential Oil, and Coloreze.
Handmade in the US
Cruelty-free
Women Trailblazers Page Flags
$7.95
Be inspired some of the world's greatest thinkers and creatives when you mark your favorite spots in books and magazines with these creative page flags.
The Trailblazers Collection of page flags feature Joan of Arc, Harriet Tubman, Frida Khalo, and Ruth Bader Ginsberg.
Includes 240 stickies per set with 60 flags per figure.
Each page flag measures 2 x .75 inches
© 2023 Gift at the Gardner.
