Seeing in a New Light – Fragment of an Oil Lamp
A 700-year-old lamp fragment gets a high-tech makeover in our Conservation Lab. Read how 'Alien Clay' and a bit of history helped us restore its original glow.
Inside the Collection Blog
The Gardner's home for stories about its collection (including the plants!), Isabella and her circle, and how the Museum inspires artists today.
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Playing Dress Up with Isabella
Who doesn’t love historical dress-up? This tiny portrait can transform into 23 different characters.
The World’s Greatest Singer: Nellie Melba’s Performance at the Gardner Museum
In 1905, the world’s most celebrated soprano performed at the Gardner. Now, more than a century later, you can relive that concert on Spotify.
Persephone’s Impossible Garden
In the Courtyard, just as in the famous myth, Persephone stands amidst an impossible garden, perpetually in bloom.
The Game: Isabella’s Football Fandom
Many people know that Isabella Stewart Gardner was a baseball fan. She was also a college football fan and closely followed the Harvard/Yale rivalry.
From Dull to Divine: Conserving the Black Glass Madonna
The challenges and thrills of glass conservation.
Iron & Light in the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
Whether it’s oil lamps, candlesticks or chandeliers, iron plays an important role in the ambiance and mystique of the Museum.
Across the Mediterranean: Treatment and Reattribution of a “Venetian” Cross
The careful, methodical—yet simple, antiquated process to treat a cross while learning of its true origins from Bethlehem.
Tariffs, Taxes and the Creation of Fenway Court
Isabella’s costly entanglement with tariffs and taxes and the opening of her Museum.
Black and Beautiful: The Black Glass Madonna
New research on the Black Glass Madonna—a truly special and quite unusual object—uncovers its forgotten history.