Nathaniel Silver and Diana Seave Greenwald are insiders amongst quintessential insiders of the storied Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. As Curators of The Collection at the Museum they are surrounded by tangible things that inspired Isabella, one of the grandest of all-time grand-dames. But more than that, they have been enveloped by the Venetian palazzo that holds Gardner’s timeless spirit. For those reasons, they are uniquely qualified to write a new book about the iconic passion-ista, “Isabella Stewart Gardner : A Life.” According to the Museum, this is the first book written about Mrs.Jack in nearly 100 years.
The namesake Museum on 25 Evans Way in Boston holds evidence of ISG’s extraordinary life of travel, eye for collecting and devotion to spiritual reflection. Because she infused Fenway Court with her sensibilities the palazzo is an atmospheric experience. It’s a vessel of remarkable insights into exotic cultures, a trove of time-stamped correspondence and a visual cascade of spiritual intimacies. Such is the passion-filled stuff of Silver and Greenwald’s book.
ISG Courtyard in April with a cascade of her favorite birthday flowers, nasturtiums
In her day (1840-1924), Isabella was a renegade, a woman ahead of her times. She tinted the walls of Fenway Court soft-peach, then colored outside-the-lines of Boston’s Brahmin society ~ vividly! Mavens of Back Bay and Beacon Hill awaited her arrival at Red Sox games, performances at Symphony Hall and lavish parties just to catch a glimpse the rebel who defied and redefined cultural norms with gusto.
Thursday, November 10th at 7PM, the authors will share untold stories of this visionary’s remarkable influences in a conversation at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. Their reflections will encourage new perspectives on Isabella’s early life, the source of her wealth and how she built her eclectic collection of art with paintings and tapestries from the Italian Renaissance and antiquities from China. Together the scholars of Isabella will outline the events that shaped her days and how the Museum perpetuates her vibrant legacy that continues to inform the world of Art today.
The intention of the authors is to portray Isabella as a multifaceted woman, a pioneering collector and a straightforward feminist hero!
Advanced Tickets are required to attend this special event,
Adults $20.00
Seniors $18.00
Students $13.00
Members and Children under 17 are Free
It’s suggested you purchase tickets on line. For information call; 617 566 1401 / Box Office 617 278 6156 or check: Gardener Museum.Org
Beautifully illustrated “Isabella Stewart Gardener : A Life” will be on sale at the Museum that night and at the Gift Shop. $24.95
Courtyard at ISG