On opening night, New Year's Eve 1903, guests assembled in the two-story concert hall to listen to the Boston Symphony Orchestra perform Bach, Mozart, and Schumann. Staged for ultimate effect, the doors to the interior courtyard parted to reveal the first glimpse of the spectacular Mediterranean garden decked out in orchids, azaleas, myrtle, and palms bathed in the soft glow of lantern light.
A philanthropist and strong supporter of the arts and community, Isabella encouraged Boston's aspiring musicians and artists. She arranged a performance by Paderewski and sent the concert tickets to Boston musicians. A modern dance performance to benefit a local hospital and a vaudeville show to benefit the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children received financial support from Isabella.
Upon her father's death in 1891, Isabella became a serious collector. In 1896, she purchased Self-Portrait by Rembrandt. Today, the collection totals approximately 2,500 pieces consisting of manuscripts, rare books, drawings, prints, sculptures, and paintings. On the cutting edge of art, Isabella purchased the first Matisse to be owned by an American collector. Paintings by French, German, Dutch masters with an emphasis on the Italian Renaissance period and more modern artists including Degas, John Singer Sargent, and James McNeill Whistler round out the collection.
The museum includes three floors structured around an inner garden courtyard. The first floor houses the Yellow Room containing two oils by Whistler, portraits by Sargent, Degas, and Matisse along with other important American and European nineteenth-century paintings. In the Blue Room fabric covered walls feature works by Manet, Sargent, Zorn, LaFarge, Delacroix, Corot, and Courbet along with original letters and photographs of leading American literary figures. Named after the New England watercolorist Dodge Macknight, the Macknight Room features the bronze sculpture by Paul Manship, and contemporary women artists like Sarah Whitman and Sarah Sears.
This is only a small sampling of what is available at this museum. Go have a look for yourself. You'll be delighted you did. Love gardening? Then take advantage of this added bonus on the museum website. The Fenway Court gardening expert answers gardening questions.
Go To Page: 1
| Here's the follow-up discussion on this article: | View all related messages |
For a complete listing of article comments, questions, and other discussions related to Judith Stock's Art Museums topic, please visit the Discussions page.