The Biggest Art Theft in American History

Perspectives from The Artist's Road

Our painting trip to Boston (see: Plein Air Painting in the Boston Public Garden) in June included a visit to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum to see some old friends painted by Sargent, Whistler, Zorn and others. The museum buildings consist of Mrs. Gardner’s fabulous mansion and a newer, modern glass addition blended together. It is worth the trip to the museum just to see and walk around in her wonderful house, which features a three-story garden atrium at the center. Designed by William T. Sears and completed in 1903, Fenway Court, as it was called during Mrs. Gardner’s day, is in the style of a 15th-century Venetian palazzo, and was built specifically to house Mrs. Gardner’s remarkable collection of art, furniture and artifacts from all over the world. Except that, there are empty frames on some of the walls.