A transportation through time by Kara L'Heureux

A transportation through time by Kara L'Heureux

Isabella by Anders Zorn

To look from wall to wall gives clues and evidence of Isabella Gardener’s lifestyle and the world she lived in. The renovated house turned museum allows onlookers to step back into the past and see themselves as Isabella Gardener living in her house. From sculpture to painting each room in the house is filled with its own collection of work and it’s own little world.

The house itself is a work of art. Exploring the house through the halls and stairs you are surrounded by her collection everywhere. Carvings on walls, sculpted columns, marble stairs and rugged walls cover each floor, letting onlookers not just to look at the art but to be surrounded by it and engulfed in it as Isabella would have been when living there.

Like an Italian villa the house is built around grand sculpture garden. Each floor has window balconies on looking the garden. From each room you can stare down at the enclosed garden making it seem like the house has its own paradise of perfect weather inside.

Isabella’s collection exposes her taste in romantic and Christian art throughout time. Each room contains its own theme of style of art and each holds their own unique feel and attitude. The design of each room is impeccable, designed as if you are entering her house when she has left for just the afternoon, where every object still in place. Tables set, cupboards filled and small home touches everywhere. Her world collections make each room unique and allow visitors to explore throughout time.

Visitors will find their own favorite rooms and areas of the house easily. The gold room with it’s beautifully painted ceiling contain mostly gold furniture, it’s a room of luxury that makes any one dream of living in it. Then there is the blue room with a wide collection of watercolor and soft pastel paintings. Each painting has a touch of blue but all seem to also go together with their light coloring and soft feel and emotion. To take an even closer look into her life small counters are set in many rooms displaying her personal letters. With letters from Victor Hugo, Marie Antoinette and Anders Zorn it lets visitors wander in to her life and understand her influence just by seeing who was her friends.

Along with her the permanent collection, the new building holds the Anders Zorn collection. As a friend of Isabella who shared similar ideas and tastes in art his collection connects but is separate from the main building. His portraits of socialites, including Isabella Gardener, allow a view into Isabella’s friends and the people in her world. Zorn’s love of smooth brush stroke and etching shows trials and the small steps he took to complete his art. Accessories and jewelry on each women and man carefully detailed complete each portrait. His collection is both elegant and a bit rough through his brush strokes.

The entire museum’s collection transports visitors back in time. Like a playground going from room to room, and up and down stairs, both are entertaining and fascinating. The collection is vast and different. Unlike regular exhibits, this museum presents art in all forms and places them creatively for display. Isabella Gardener has designed her house not only as a beautiful museum but as everyone’s dream home.