the Gardner Museum

 There is a fine art museum in Boston, the Isabella Stewart Gardner. I went with a friend. We'd tried going a few years back; got there, it was closed. It was a Tuesday. We hadn't thought to look it up first - museums aren't ordinarily closed on Tuesdays. The Museum of Fine Arts was open! Anyway.

My brother told me to look for the John Singer Sargent painting - you know the one, he said - of the lady with her arm stretched out. Sargent might be his favorite painter, and I'm sure I've seen many of his works, but I wasn't sure I'd seen this one. Anyway, it was right there when we entered the place.

"borrowed" from the internet

It's big! 

Anyway, I've long wanted to see this museum. In 1990, two fellows dressed as police officers got security to let them in. They tied him up and took thirteen (I think) works of art from the place in the space of 81 minutes. Nothing has been found. 

I had stumbled on a podcast in 2018 which delved into the theft. It was excellently done, in thirteen episodes. It's called Last Seen, and it's still going, I guess, on other subjects, but this was the first. 

I had an idea of the museum, probably from the photo linked above. I wanted to see the empty frames - how dramatic of them, to leave them empty like that! I didn't realize how chock full of stuff this place is, which isn't apparent in this photo. It was her home, and the architectural part was just as appealing to me as the artwork within. 

The arches and the bell were also near the entrance. They set the tone for my expectations. 

Imagine living amid such drama.

Anyway, we went first to the cafe and had lunch. Mine was a little quiche, with roasted cauliflower, onions and gruyere. A frisee salad with sliced red grapes and a bit of farro. All very nice! And a chocolate sort of pudding with berries on top for dessert. Quite satisfying.

There is stuff everywhere you turn, and lots of it is religious: tapestries, carvings, some *very* old. Things that should still be in churches. 

we noticed how shiny and clean this was, and were sure our excellent custodian at the library would care for it just as well

The thieves took some things by Degas, a Manet, a Chinese vase or urn, an eagle finial from the time of Napoleon, two Rembrandts and a Vermeer and a couple of other items. Yes, Rembrandt and Vermeer. I don't know about you, but they are definitely two of my favorites! 

This is supposed to be a Rembrandt portrait of a married couple, A Lady and Gentleman in Black.

from the internet

And this is the frame which contained his only seascape, Christ in the Storm on the Sea of Galilee.

It would have been nice to see that one. Here it is:

It would be nice, wouldn't it? Where is it now, I wonder? They were sliced out of their frames!

And the Vermeer; there are so few of them. I took the photo so I'd be reflected in the glass. 

I like to see the Rembrandt self-portrait to the right in this photo. They did take one of his self-portraits, but a sketch. He did plenty of those. 

The Vermeer -

The Concert

The podcast presented a fascinating story, very well done, if you're interested. 

There were guards everywhere; I couldn't carry my jacket over my arm, it wasn't allowed. I was too warm, but had to wear it. Did I mention that there was no security system in 1990? Only a guard, but no electronics. Incredible. 

These signs were on everything, but almost nothing was labeled. Maybe a handful of items! We would have liked to know what we were looking at! Well, they did have the QR codes, and we did use that a couple of times. Finally, a guard told us that the lack of labelling was because she didn't want things to be labelled - it was a home. And nothing is ever to be moved, or rearranged. That's why the empty frames.

There is a long room with a dining table which can be rented for your event. And there's a wonderful garden, in an atrium, I guess. Full of foxglove and what looked like pink hydrangea. Isn't it early for those? 

I had to jump up the color on these, because my camera didn't capture the fabulousness of the garden.

We weren't allowed in. But oh, you couldn't look at the place without wishing you could get in! (my brother said when he went, they let people in)

Anyway, we took our time, were there about four hours, and loved all of it. I bought a few things in the gift shop, of course, including a book about Mrs. Gardner, which so far is very interesting.  If you're ever in Boston, by all means, stop and see this fabulous place.