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Picturing Isabella

"I am never photographed, unless by some Kodak fiend, who does it on the sly, and without my permission." — Isabella Stewart Gardner, 1915

February 19 - June 21, 2026
Fenway Gallery

How do you picture Isabella Stewart Gardner? The Museum’s founder came of age alongside photography, but as her celebrity rose, Isabella hid from the camera. She began to curate images of herself as carefully as the galleries of her Museum. Picturing Isabella collects girlhood and travel photos, candids with friends and pets, posed studio images, newspaper clippings, and other archival materials to create a sketch of Isabella Stewart Gardner, whose camera-shy behavior guaranteed her Museum as her most enduring portrait. 

Gift at the Gardner's exhibition collection includes our favorite Isabella Stewart Gardner biographies, accessories inspired by the Museum founder's style, and gifts featuring Isabella in her own words!
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