By Katie Koenig
I haven’t yet made it back to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, although it’s on my to-do list this semester. I’ve been several times, and each time it’s felt like a new experience.
It’s such an interesting way to present exhibits, organized into themed rooms and set up within an actual house (for all that it’s a very large home). I mentioned this in my post about the Peabody Essex Museum, but I love how easy it is to get lost navigating the varied rooms and floors in the Gardner Museum.
It feels like I enter a liminal space where time has stopped, and no matter if I circle around a floor three times, I keep finding rooms and beautiful artifacts that I missed the first two times. The Gardner Museum also has a gorgeous sunroof, so I love going during the afternoon when the sun reflects through the glass, shining onto the garden courtyard in the center of the museum.
Of course, I can’t mention the Gardner Museum’s qualities without mentioning the 1990 theft of thirteen different artworks, which is the largest property theft in the world. If you haven’t heard of it, be sure to check out the various documentaries, podcasts, and writings about the heist.
On the second floor in the Dutch Room, the Short Gallery, and the Blue Room, the thieves stole priceless paintings like works by Degas, Rembrandt, and Vermeer. To this day, to remember these paintings, the museum has left some of their original frames up, yet empty, as a constant reminder that the paintings are still missing.
Students can get in for free, but the typical ticket price is $20 for adults. It’s accessible with only a few minutes walking from the Green Line MFA stop, so it’s easy to get to while you’re in the city!