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Thursday
Jul302009
From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Isabella Stewart Gardner
Ever since I read From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E Frankweiler as a youngster I have had a longing to live in a museum, haven't you? If I had my druthers, I would camp out in the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, one of my happy places in Boston. It's just a block or so from the MFA but goes undiscovered by many. If you're in the area, go!
Maddy and I went there yesterday for Maddy Day 2 (and were delighted to find we both qualify to get in free!). We dressed in skirts and pretended we were fancy Boston ladies. Back in the turn of the 20th century Mrs. Gardner built a gorgeous Italian palazzo, with a courtyard at the center, to house her growing art collection.
This courtyard lifts many a Boston wintry heart, let me tell you.
Some of our favorite pieces:
^Mrs. Gardner herself. Bursting with enthusiasm, isn't she?
Here I am!
^Young Lady of Fashion
Maddy's counterpart of Renaissance Italy.
^El Jaleo by John Singer Sargent. Again with the verve and enthusiasm.
She looks like she could give me a lesson in not-caring-what-others-think.
I adore Vermeer.
Unfortunately, this one was stolen in a very famous art heist
(at least around here)
so we didn't see it at the Gardner.
But we did see the blank spot where it used to be.
Very mysterious.
I imagine the museum security is pretty heightened,
making my plans to inhabit the place a little far-fetched.
So I am forced to fall back on my other Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum dream:
wedding reception for a daughter/son/grandchild someday.
A gal can dream...
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Reader Comments (12)
I definitely think someone needs to have a wedding reception there. I can totally picture it all now.
I have the same dream/vision for one of mine at Hotel de Coronado in San Diego. Someday...
That place is truly gorgeous!
What a treat!
So cool. I REALLY want to visit Boston someday!
Just another reason to be proud of my maiden name...Gardner.
Dream, you must!
What a lovely day for the two of you.
Maybe Caleb and Maddy in a few years...a mom can dream. I ADORE this museum. Perfect size in my book. Not too big and everything is fabulous! I would have wanted to hang out with Isabella-she was quite the fantastic lady in her day-bare shoulders and all!
thanks for sharing your delicious day. I'll add that museum to my list of Boston dreams.
This is great--will you be my tour guide? We're planning a trip to Boston in August (never been to Boston) with a 4 and 2 yr old. We'll be attending a big Catholic Irish wedding (wonderful!) and have about 2 partial days to bum around the city with our kiddos.
I always loved that museum too. And have had many a Frankweiler-ish dream of my own. Mostly in Neueschwanstein castle (pretty sure I spelled that wrong). I'm taking your lead and trying to do a little date night with each of my boys.
I want to clarify. What I meant by "tour guide" was any suggestions of how one might spend their time in Boston, though brief, with 2 children under 4 yrs old? ;-)
I want to live in Rodin's house/museum in Paris. Divine.
Sounds like a perfectly lovely day.
Emily, I'd love to give you some ideas. When are you in Boston?
I'll email you some thoughts.
I remember going there with Sue years ago (and maybe you). Loved it. The comment about the missing Vermeer reminds me of The Madonnas of Leningrad, where some of the guides would still walk through the empty rooms and blank walls and still see the missing paintings and sculptures, recreating them anew. Loved it.