Inventing Isabella
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
Charmaine Wheatley: The Impossible Shoes Print
$100.00
The second edition in our contemporary limited fine art print series, created from a photograph of a painting titled: The Impossible Shoes by Charmaine Wheatley (Artist-in-Residence, 2012) to commemorate the ephemeral site-specific exhibit titled Charmaine Wheatley: Souvenirs, installed in the museum’s Fenway Gallery from September 2015 to February 2017. The original work is a painting of Isabella Stewart Gardner’s shoes, which the artist made in the Textile Conservation Lab. Each edition print is stamped, numbered, and signed on the front by the artist.Limited Edition Print
Charmaine Wheatley
Hand signed and numbered edition of 300
13.832 x 19 inches unframed
Isabella Scarf
$47.00
Isabella Stewart Gardner
1888
John Singer Sargent, American, 1856-1925
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.
In its gallery, surrounded by altarpieces, stained glass, and religious statuary, the sacramental quality noted by nineteenth-century reviewers is even more pronounced.
100% Polyester
Machine Washable
Isabella Stewart Gardner Cosmetic Case
$18.00
Allow us to give you a hand with storing your cosmetics on-the-go! This cosmetics case features the capable hands of the Museum's founder, Isabella Stewart Gardner as painted by John Singer Sargent. The neoprene case features a zip closure; the Museum's name is printed on the inside.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.
Made of neoprene with zipper closure
Measures 9.5 x 5.5 x 2 inches
Isabella Stewart Gardner Coin Purse
$12.00
Allow us to give you a hand with keeping your coinage together! This coin purse features the capable hands of the Museum's founder, Isabella Stewart Gardner as painted by John Singer Sargent. The neoprene case features a zip closure; the Museum's name is printed on the inside.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.
Made of neoprene with zipper closure
Measures 3.5 inches
"Picture Habit" ISGM Journal
$28.00
8.25 x 6 inches
Isabella Stewart Gardner Pocket Mirror
$14.00
This pocket mirror features the confident gaze of the Museum's founder, Isabella Stewart Gardner as painted by John Singer Sargent. The mirror features a magnetic closure; the Museum's name and the full portrait of Mrs. Gardner is featured on the other side of the mirror.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.
3.5 x 2 inches
Polyurethane covered
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
Isabella Stewart Gardner Framed Postcard
$42.00
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.
Framed postcard measures 5.9" x 10.8"
Isabella Stewart Gardner Ornament
$16.95
This ornament of Isabella Stewart Gardner is directly inspired by her portrait painted by John Singer Sargent and displayed in the Gothic Room.
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.
Ornaments of other subjects, artists, authors, and notable figures inspired by Isabella and the Museum are also available. Click here to explore our Ornament Collection!
Measures 1.5" x 5.5"
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
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)
Todder x Gardner Museum Crest Leather Key Fob
$18.95
The Newburyport, Massachusetts-based leather workshop Todder creates durable products infused with passion for quality. Their philosophy is built upon New England’s extreme, ever-changing weather elements and begins with 100% USA vegetable tanned leather.At the heart of this custom-designed key chain is an artistic collaboration between one of New England’s finest leather workshops and one of the world’s most treasured art museums. This artistically-inspired partnership culminates with the corporate seal of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, designed by Gardner’s friend, prominent Boston artist Sarah de St. Prix Wyman Whitman (1842-1904) in 1900.
The motto of the Museum’s seal, ‘C’est mon plaisir’ – ‘It’s my pleasure’ – is stamped on this circular leather keychain. The Museum's name is printed on the verso.
Made of 100% USA vegetable tanned leather and metal
Measures 2" x 3.5" D
Made in Newburyport, Massachusetts
Gardner Crest Passport Case
$54.00
Travel with the spirit of Isabella Stewart Gardner! Protect your passport and add a trendy touch to your travels with this elegant leather Passport Case. Stamped into the full grain leather exterior of the Passport Case is the corporate seal of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, designed by Gardner’s friend, prominent Boston artist Sarah de St. Prix Wyman Whitman (1842-1904) in 1900. Inscribed on the base of the Museum’s seal is the motto ‘C’est mon plaisir’ – ‘It’s my pleasure.' The interior of the Passport Case features 4 card slots and slip pockets with an interior sleeve for boarding passes.Founded by Christina Oh in the early 2000s, Boulevard develops elegant products designed with your real life in mind. Materials used in Boulevard's products are sourced from a family owned and operated facility in the coastal town of Qingdao, China. Goods are manufactured in small batches in a responsibly managed facility with fair wages, fair housing, and employee benefits.
Measures 5.5" x 4" x 0.25"
Made with full grain leather exterior and a smooth vegan leather interior
Todder x ISGM Gardner Crest Mason Jar
$24.95
The Newburyport, Massachusetts-based leather workshop Todder creates durable products infused with passion for quality. Their philosophy is built upon New England’s extreme, ever-changing weather elements and begins with 100% USA vegetable tanned leather.At the heart of these custom-designed leather coasters is an artistic collaboration between one of New England’s finest leather workshops and one of the world’s most treasured art museums. This artistically-inspired partnership culminates with the corporate seal of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, designed by Gardner’s friend, prominent Boston artist Sarah de St. Prix Wyman Whitman (1842-1904) in 1900.
The motto of the Museum’s seal, ‘C’est mon plaisir’ – ‘It’s my pleasure’ – is stamped on these Mason Jar leather sleeves (Mason Jar included). Simply slip the the sleeve off the jar to clean. Sip in style with a Todder x ISGM Gardner Crest Coaster Set!
Available in weathered brown, chestnut, black, and peach.
4.75 x 3.5 x 3.5 inches
Made of 100% USA vegetable tanned leather
Made in Newburyport, Massachusetts
Gardner Crest Smart Vase Cube
$16.00
This is a small vase for a flower or other small plants. The cube is made from natural wood, and fits with the small vase. A magnet is embedded in the wood cube, so you can put it on any metallic surface, like a fridge door.
A small piece of nature in this small vase will brighten up any space. It can also function perfectly as a diffuser by putting aroma oil and sticks inside the clear tube.
The creative bud vases are etched with the corporate seal of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, designed by Gardner’s friend, prominent Boston artist Sarah de St. Prix Wyman Whitman (1842-1904) in 1900. The motto of the Museum’s seal, ‘C’est mon plaisir’ – ‘It’s my pleasure’ – is stamped on these crowd-favorite vases.
Glass vase with magnetic wood block
Fellow Wanderer: Isabella Stewart Gardner's Travel Albums
$55.00
In 1865, art collector and philanthropist Isabella Stewart Gardner (1840–1924) lost her only child to pneumonia at less than two years old. In an effort to rouse her from depression, Gardner and her husband, Jack, traveled to northern Europe and Russia. It was the first of many trips abroad that would eventually take her from the Middle East to Asia—trips that she documented in exquisitely crafted collaged travel albums. Fellow Wanderer brings together nearly thirty of Gardner’s striking travelogues, spanning some thirty-nine countries and offering invaluable perspective on the global influences on this legendary collector and patron of the arts.This book features beautiful facsimiles of Gardner’s travel albums—largely unpublished until now—along with essays by leading scholars who place these diaries and sketchbooks within the context of the art and culture of Europe, the Middle East, and Asia in the nineteenth century. The essays explore a host of topics, such as Gardner’s engagement with world religions while abroad, how she incorporated designs and ideas from around the globe into her Boston museum, and the ways in which the imperial power structures of the era facilitated her travels.
Lushly illustrated, Fellow Wanderer provides a uniquely intimate look at how Gardner’s rich and diverse experiences abroad instilled her collecting and patronage with a truly global vision of art.
Edited by Diana Seave Greenwald, William and Lia Poorvu Curator of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum Collection, and Casey Riley
214 pages
Published by Princeton University Press, 2023
Hardcover
12" x 14"
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.
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!
Isabella in Venice Patch
$9.50
Isabella Stewart Gardner in Venice
1894
Anders Zorn, Swedish, 1860 - 1920
Use this patch on your favorite t-shirt, bag or pants and show off your favorite Gardner Museum painting!
3.25 x 2.50 inchesFabric patch with iron-on backing
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 Stewart Gardner Quote Necklace: "Don't Spoil a Good Story"
$72.00
"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!
16 inch chain
Gold vermeil chain and pendants
Handmade in the USA
Isabella Stewart Gardner Quote Necklace: "My Garden is Riotous"
$80.00
“My garden is riotous, unholy, deliriously glorious!
I wish you were here.” - Isabella Stewart Gardner in a letter to her friend, protégé, and fellow art-lover: Bernard Berenson.
In her missive to Berenson, Mrs. Gardner referenced the flora growing at the Gardner’s Brookline estate 'Green Hill.' 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.
16 inch chain
Gold vermeil chain and pendants
Handmade in the USA
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
"Shan't You and I" ISGM Journal
$28.00
This hardcover journal features a portrait of Mrs Gardner by John Singer Sargent on the front, printed with a velvet laminate finish that lends a high quality suede-like feel.
8.25 x 6 inches
"Win As Though You Were Used To It" ISGM Journal
$28.00
This hardcover journal features a portrait of Mrs. Gardner by John Singer Sargent on the front, printed with a velvet laminate finish that lends a high quality suede-like feel.
8.25 x 6 inches
100 unlined pages
"C'est Mon Plaisir" Card
$6.25
This card—from local Big Wheel Press—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. The perfect card for the Bohemian in your life!
4.25 x 5.5 inchesPrinted on fine letterpress paper
Letterpress card with gold hot foil stamping, blank inside
Made in Massachusetts, USA
"Don't Spoil A Good Story" Card
$6.25
This card—from local Big Wheel Press—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 card for the elaborate story teller in your life!
4.25 x 5.5 inchesPrinted on fine letterpress paper
Letterpress card with gold hot foil stamping, blank inside
Made in Massachusetts, 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
ISGM Pencil Set
$13.95
This set of four solid graphite pencils offers a variety of color options: chose from dark gray, light gray, silver, or gold to craft your masterpiece.
Each pencil features Museum's logo. The pencil case features a sketch from the Museum's archives of Thomas McKeller by John Singer Sargent. McKeller posed for most of the figures—both male and female—in Sargent’s murals in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
Perfect for sketching in the Museum's Courtyard!
Set of 4 pencils
Isabella Said Bookmark Set
$7.95
Make a statement with this set of 8 paper bookmarks prominently featuring quotes and sayings attributed to Isabella Stewart Gardner! Our bookmarks are the perfect gift for the bibliophile!
Measures 7.25" x 2.25"Made of durable cardstock
Isabella Bunker Magnet
$6.00
Isabella Stewart Gardner
1889
Dennis Miller Bunker, 1861-1890
Dennis Miller Bunker painted Isabella in a gown she wore to the Artists' Festival, a costume ball benefiting the Boston Art Students' Association in April of 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. Bunker also attended the event dressed as a troubadour carrying a lute. A year later Bunker recalled Isabella in her regal attire, writing to her "I often think of you in Venetian state... do you wear your red and gold dress I wonder—or do your hair à la Tintoretto?" Isabella collected 6 other paintings and drawings by Bunker before he died tragically early at the age of 29.
2.5 x 3.5 inches
Made in the USA
Gardner Quote Canvas Tote
$21.95
Go green Gardner style with this marvelous canvas quote, featuring Mrs. Gardner's favored nasturtium flowers. In a letter to Bernard 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 x 18 inches with an 11 inch drop
Medusa Mug
$26.95
Inspired by the Medusa mosaic centerpiece of the Gardner Museum's lush Courtyard comes this collaboration between the Museum and Caskata Artisanal Home, sold exclusively at Gift at the Gardner.
On the inside of this mug is a quote printed in a beautiful flourishing script, commonly attributed to the Museum's founder, Isabella Stewart Gardner: "Don't spoil a good story by telling the truth."
14 oz mug
Made in USA
Dishwasher and microwave safe
The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum: A Guide
$24.95
The authors look at masterpieces by Botticelli, Rembrandt, Titian, and others, as well as hidden treasures, including decorative arts, correspondence, and photographs. Rather than positioning the museum simply as a historical gem, they present it as a site for forging connections between past and present and reinforcing the founder’s legacy of sustaining contemporary art, music, and education. Featuring all-new photography, the book captures the uniqueness of this museum, helping us consider anew what the museum meant in Gardner’s time and what it means in ours.
By Dr. Christina M. Nielsen, previous William and Lia Poorvu Curator of the Collection at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum (2014-2018), with Nathaniel Silver, previous William and Lia Poorvu Curator of the Collection at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum (2018-2022), and Casey Riley, former Curator at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
205 pages
Published by Yale University Press, 2017
Paperback
Measures 6.5" x 0.8" x 10"
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
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
Isabella Stewart Gardner Quote Necklace: "C'est Mon Plaisir"
$72.00
"C'est Mon Plaisir"
Isabella Stewart Gardner
The French translation of 'It is my pleasure' was Isabella Stewart Gardner's motto. The sentiment is felt around the Museum and can be seen today, emblazoned on a stone carving over the original entrance to the Museum.
The perfect gift for an equally gracious host as a house warming gift.
16 inch chain
Gold vermeil chain and pendants
Handmade 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
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
Isabella Quote Mug: "Shan't You and I Have Fun With My Museum?"
$15.00
This mug—perfect for sipping some of our Courtyard-inspired loose leaf teas—prominently features a quote attributed to Isabella Stewart Gardner: "Shan’t you and I have fun with my museum?” This quotation imparts the passion and enthusiasm Mrs. Gardner felt when building her Museum for the enjoyment of the public, forever. We hope that you answer Mrs. Gardner's question with a resounding 'Yes!'
11 oz. ceramic mug
Dishwasher and microwave safe
Isabella Quote Mug: "Picture Habit"
$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 suppose the picture-habit (which I seem to have) is as bad as the morphine or whisky one . . . " This quotation imparts the passion and enthusiasm Mrs. Gardner felt when building her Museum and acquiring the art in her collection. We hope that by visiting the Museum, you have acquired a "picture-habit" as well!
11 oz. ceramic mug
Dishwasher and microwave safe
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
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
© 2023 Gift at the Gardner.
