Isabella Stewart Gardner in Venice
primary
Anders Zorn
(Mora, 1860 - 1920, Mora)
subject
Isabella Stewart Gardner
(New York, 1840 - 1924, Boston)
Date1894
Place MadeVenice, Veneto, Italy, Europe
MediumOil on canvas
Dimensions91 x 66 cm (35 13/16 x 26 in.)
ClassificationsPaintings
Credit LineIsabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Boston
Accession numberP17e10
Status
Not on viewWeb Commentary
This lively portrait of Isabella Gardner was painted by one of her many artist friends, Anders Zorn. It shows her at the Palazzo Barbaro in Venice, where the Zorns and the Gardners spent time together in the fall of 1894. According to Jack Gardner’s diary, on the evening of October 20 his wife went out on the balcony to see a display of fireworks. Coming back into the room filled with guests, she threw open the glass doors and said, “Come out—all of you. This is too beautiful to miss.” The picture is all about light—the artificial light inside the room and the fireworks outside. Isabella Gardner herself, wearing her trademark long string of pearls, seems to glow. Gardner conveniently installed a portrait of her husband Jack nearby, making it easy to draw comparisons (style, personality, etc.) between the two.
Id717826
Last Updated8/9/24
EmbARK ObjectID10973
Source ID232
Object/Provenance
Object/Correspondence
