Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum facts for kids

This page is about the art museum in Boston. For the ceramics museum in Toronto, see Gardiner Museum.

Quick facts for kids
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum

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Former name	Fenway Court
Established	1903; 122 years ago (1903)
Location	25 Evans Way Boston, MA 02115
Type	Art museum
Accreditation	American Alliance of Museums
Founder	Isabella Stewart Gardner
Public transit access	Green Line (E branch) Museum of Fine Arts

The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum is a special art museum in Boston, Massachusetts. It holds amazing art from Europe, Asia, and America. You can see paintings, sculptures, tapestries, and beautiful decorative items here.

The museum was started by Isabella Stewart Gardner. She wanted her art collection to be shown forever for everyone to learn from and enjoy. The museum first opened its doors in 1903.

A new part of the museum was finished in 2012. It was designed by an Italian architect named Renzo Piano. This new building is next to the original one.

In 1990, something very unusual happened. Thirteen of the museum's artworks were stolen. This crime is still unsolved, and the art, worth about $500 million, has never been found.

History of the Museum
The Great Art Theft of 1990
New Wing and Preservation
Museum Design
Art Collection Highlights
Current Programs and Activities
Gallery
See also

History of the Museum

The museum was built between 1898 and 1901 by Isabella Stewart Gardner (1840–1924). She was an American art collector and helped many artists. She designed the museum to look like a 15th-century palace from Venice, Italy. It opened to the public in 1903.

Isabella started collecting art seriously after she received a lot of money from her father in 1891. Her first big purchase was a painting called The Concert by Johannes Vermeer in 1892.

Later, an art expert named Bernard Berenson helped her find more art. With his help, Isabella Gardner became the first American to own a painting by the famous Renaissance artist Sandro Botticelli. Berenson helped her get almost 70 artworks for her collection.

After her husband died in 1898, Isabella Gardner decided to build a special place for their art. She bought land in Boston and hired an architect named Willard T. Sears. She wanted the building, called Fenway Court, to look like the old palaces in Venice.

Isabella was very involved in designing the museum. She even helped arrange the art herself. She mixed paintings, furniture, and objects from different cultures and times. This made the museum feel like a cozy home, not just a big gallery.

The museum opened on January 1, 1903, with a big party. There was music from the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Isabella Gardner often invited artists, performers, and scholars to her museum. She wanted them to find inspiration there.

When Isabella Gardner passed away in 1924, she left money to the museum. She also made rules for how the art should be displayed. She wanted her collection to be shown "for the education and enjoyment of the public forever."

The Great Art Theft of 1990

On March 18, 1990, two thieves dressed as police officers broke into the museum. They stole thirteen valuable artworks. This was one of the biggest art thefts ever!

One of the stolen paintings was The Concert by Johannes Vermeer. It is one of only 34 known paintings by him. Another missing artwork is The Storm on the Sea of Galilee (1633) by Rembrandt. This is Rembrandt's only known painting of the sea.

The stolen artworks have never been found. The museum offered a reward for information about them. It started at $5 million and was later doubled to $10 million. Empty frames still hang in the museum where the stolen art used to be.

The FBI believes the stolen art was moved around and offered for sale in the early 2000s. They think the thieves were part of a criminal group. In 2021, Netflix released a documentary about the theft called This Is a Robbery: The World’s Biggest Art Heist.

New Wing and Preservation

Glass skylights illuminate the central atrium of the original building

In 2002, the museum decided it needed a new building. This new wing would help protect the historic museum and offer more space for programs. In 2004, the famous architect Renzo Piano was chosen to design it.

The new wing was completed in 2012. It cost $118 million to build. It adds more space for visitors, concerts, and special art shows. It also has areas for education and garden programs. This helps the museum continue Isabella Gardner's ideas about art, music, and plants.

The new design is made to fit well with the old museum building. It uses glass and copper and looks like a modern, four-story building.

Museum Design

"Fenway Court", the museum's original building

The museum was built to look like a 15th-century Venetian palace. This design creates a special feeling for Gardner's unique art collection. Isabella Gardner hired Willard T. Sears to design the building.

Inside, three floors of art galleries surround a beautiful garden courtyard. This courtyard is always filled with plants and flowers. The fourth floor used to be Gardner's private home. Now, it is used for offices and sometimes for exhibits.

Many people think the building was moved from Venice. But it was actually built from scratch in Boston. However, it does include many old pieces from European buildings. These pieces were added into the new design.

The museum is loved for its cozy feeling. The artworks are often not labeled, and the lighting is dim. This makes it feel more like a private home than a typical museum.

In 1983, the museum was added to the National Register of Historic Places. In 2013, it was named a Boston Landmark.

Art Collection Highlights

Isabella Gardner collected and carefully displayed over 7,500 items. These include paintings, sculptures, furniture, and textiles. She also had many rare books and historical objects. Her collection comes from ancient Rome, medieval Europe, Renaissance Italy, Asia, and other places.

Some famous artists whose work you can see here include Titian, Rembrandt, Michelangelo, and Raphael. You can also find art by Manet, Degas, Whistler, and Sargent. The first painting by Henri Matisse ever bought by an American is in the Yellow Room.

Well-known artworks at the museum include:

El Jaleo and Portrait of Isabella Stewart Gardner by John Singer Sargent
Death and Assumption of the Virgin by Fra Angelico
Self-Portrait, Aged 23 by Rembrandt
Hercules by Piero della Francesca
The Story of Lucretia by Sandro Botticelli

The museum also has more than 7,000 letters from famous people. These include letters from Henry Adams and T.S. Eliot. There are also travel albums and old receipts.

Gardner also had a large collection of books. These include early copies of works by Dante and beautiful illuminated manuscripts.

Current Programs and Activities

The museum offers many programs for visitors. They have art shows, talks, and family activities. These programs help people learn more about the museum's collection.

The museum has an Artist-in-Residence program. Artists from different fields are invited to live at the museum. They get to be inspired by the art and setting. The museum often shows their new art and performances.

The Gardner also has a concert series. Musicians perform classical music, new songs, and jazz. You can enjoy these concerts on Sunday afternoons and some Thursday evenings. You can also listen to concert videos and podcasts online.

The museum offers free admission for life to anyone named Isabella!