Chasing Beauty 

by Natalie Dykstra

Natalie Dykstra's 2024 biography Chasing Beauty offers a captivating portrait of Isabella Stewart Gardner, the visionary behind Boston's renowned museum. Born in New York and married into Boston's elite Gardner family, Isabella's worldview was shaped by her education in France, early study of Dante, and exposure to Renaissance art.

Gardner's considerable energy and curiosity led her and husband Jack on extensive global trips, including Japan, India, Egypt, and bi-annual European visits. These journeys fueled her passion for collecting, encompassing not only Renaissance masterpieces but also textiles and decorative objects. She shipped back crates full of beautiful objects by the dozens, at one point running afoul of import duty requirements and having to go to court to contest unpaid taxes. Her competitive spirit often saw her vying for prized works, transforming her Beacon Street home into a treasure trove of beauty. Initially met with skepticism by Boston's conservative society due to her attention-grabbing behavior, clothing and jewelry, Isabella eventually established herself as a respected patron of artists and musicians. Following her husband Jack's death in 1898, the 58-year-old Isabella embarked on her most ambitious project: creating an inside-out Renaissance-inspired palace to house her collection. Her hands-on approach saw her visiting the then-remote Fenway construction site daily, lunchpail in hand, overseeing every detail. Scholarly expert or privileged collector? Dystra's biography invites readers to form their own conclusions. One thing is certain: you will see the Gardner Museum through new eyes, appreciating it as the manifestation of one remarkable woman's unwavering dedication to appreciating and acquiring objects of historical significance and beauty, and sharing them with the world.  

Lisa Frusztajer