Chasing Beauty: The Life of Isabella Stewart Gardner

Chasing Beauty: The Life of Isabella Stewart Gardner

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  • Type:Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date:2024-03-22 13:21:38
  • Update Date:2025-09-06
  • Status:finish
  • Author:Natalie Dykstra
  • ISBN:1328515753
  • Environment:PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle

Summary

The vivid and masterful story of an American original—a formidable art collector and builder of one of America’s most unique and stunning museums—a late bloomer whose own life was remade by art。 Isabella Stewart Gardner’s museum, with its plain exterior enfolding an astonishing four-story Italian palazzo, rose from Boston’s Fens in 1902。 The museum would be a work of art in itself—the first built to house a private collection, which included the first Vermeer and first Botticelli in America。 Its treasures encompassed not only paintings but tapestries, rare books, prints, porcelains, fine furniture—all in evocative, intimately personal arrangements。 An extraordinary achievement of storytelling and scholarship, Chasing Beauty uncovers the multi-layered self-portrait encoded in the museum’s objects and rooms, at the same time delivering the story of a life every bit as dazzling and haunting。   Born in 1840 to a privileged New York family, Isabella Stewart married Boston Brahmin Jack Gardner before she was twenty。 Misunderstood by Boston’s internecine society, Isabella suffered the death of her only child, a beloved two-year-old boy。 In time, friendships, glittering and bohemian; awe-inspiring world travels; being in the presence of beautiful things; and soon enough collecting them with a keen eye and competitive pace—all these became balm for loss。 Henry James and John Singer Sargent—whose portrait of Isabella was a masterpiece and a scandal—came to recognize her originality。 Bernard Berenson, leading connoisseur of the Italian Renaissance, was her art dealer。 From award-winning author Natalie Dykstra, the uncovered story of the complex and singular woman behind one of the most fascinating museums in America and the world—a tale of beauty and loss, grit and American self-invention。 

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Reviews

Brendan (History Nerds United)

Let me make a quick confession。 I just don't find Isabella Stewart Gardner all that compelling。 I don't have a particular issue with her。 She seems to have been a decent human for the most part even though it is clear that she probably had some self-entitlement issues as someone who grew up with (and married into) enormous wealth。 However, two other famous names come up in this book, Harriet Beecher Stowe and Abigail Adams。 I couldn't help but compare and I found that Isabella paled in compariso Let me make a quick confession。 I just don't find Isabella Stewart Gardner all that compelling。 I don't have a particular issue with her。 She seems to have been a decent human for the most part even though it is clear that she probably had some self-entitlement issues as someone who grew up with (and married into) enormous wealth。 However, two other famous names come up in this book, Harriet Beecher Stowe and Abigail Adams。 I couldn't help but compare and I found that Isabella paled in comparison。 I fully understand someone more well versed in art and fashion may heartily disagree with my assessment of her。 I absolutely concede this is my opinion and not a fact。At this point, you must assume that I am not recommending Chasing Beauty。 In fact, I very much recommend this book。 Somehow, although I could not personally connect with Gardner, author Natalie Dykstra made me totally okay with reading on anyway。 Her meticulous research and ability to stick to the interesting or emotional beats of Gardner's life made it an easy read。 If this seems totally surprising, well, then welcome to my world because I am shocked, too。 But here we are!In summary, if you are into art and fashion, you should definitely read this book。 If you are not the target audience like me, you won't be mad if you sat down with this book anyway。(This book was provided as an advance copy by Mariner Books。) 。。。more