Isabella Stewart Gardner traveled the globe for over three decadesassembling one of the world’s most remarkable art collections. The museum which bears her name also stands as a testament to her vision. Isabella Stewart Gardner, known also as “Mrs. Jack” in reference to her husband John L. (“Jack”) Gardner was one of the foremost female patrons of the arts. She was a patron and friend of leading artists and writers of her time, including John Singer Sargent, James McNeill Whistler, and Henry James. Isabella Stewart Gardner was also the visionary creator of what remains one of the most remarkable and intimate collections of art in the world today and a dynamic supporter of artists of her time, encouraging music, literature, dance, and creative thinking across artistic disciplines. Over three decades, Isabella Stewart Gardner traveled the world to amass a remarkable collection of master and decorative arts. Isabella Gardner installed her collection of works in a way to evoke intimate responses to the art, mixing paintings, furniture, textiles, and objects from different cultures and periods among well-known European paintings and sculpture.
