Dykstra, Natalie

Chasing Beauty: The Life of Isabella Stewart Gardner

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ISBN 13:
9781328515759
author:
Dykstra, Natalie
format:
Hardback
publisher:
HarperCollins
language:
English
Publication Year:
2024
Pages:
512
Dimensions:
23.2 x 16 x 4.3 centimetres (0.3
Genre:
Biography
Condition:
New
Availability:
Item usually sent within 5 working days
£23.64

Description

Isabella Stewart Gardner's museum is a testament to her extraordinary life and art collection. Born in 1840, Isabella Stewart Gardner was an American original whose own life was remade by art. This vivid story explores the fascinating ways the museum and its holdings can be seen as a kind of memoir, created with objects instead of words. From her privileged New York family to her bohemian friendships and awe-inspiring world travels, Isabella's life was marked by loss and transformation. Her only child's early death was a devastating blow, but it also sparked a passion for collecting beautiful things that would become the defining feature of her life. With the help of art dealers like Bernard Berenson, Isabella curated a collection of masterpieces that would one day make her museum a national treasure. Through Chasing Beauty, Natalie Dykstra brings to light the complex and singular woman behind this iconic institution, revealing a tale of beauty, loss, grit, and American self-invention.

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