Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum Field Trip

On March 14th, the AP Spanish, AP French, SUPA French, and Arabic 2 classes got the wonderful opportunity to travel into Boston to visit the stunning Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. Upon arrival, the students grabbed a quick breakfast across the street at Simmons College where some even bought jewelry from a local artist. The students were then split up into three groups and entered the amazing museum. The first stop was in the museum’s traveling exhibit that displayed many works by Raqib Shaw. Shaw’s breathtaking use of enamel, jewels, and other materials depicted incredible landscapes and used intricate layering of colors and materials to compose extremely complex and astonishing paintings. The group then traveled into the main rooms of the museum, which is the result of the lifetime collection curated by Isabella Stewart Gardner. Not only was she the first woman to arrange and construct a museum on her own, she placed a clause in her will stating that upon her passing her house must remain a museum open to the public and that nothing can be moved or changed. Due to Mrs. Gardner’s strong will and detailed wishes, all visitors have the ability to see her house exactly as she left it. Each room was decorated with intention and an eye for detail as paintings, sculptures, wallpaper, and many other artforms are layered into the rooms, composing a unique aesthetic in each space. Paintings of various time periods and styles are mixed in displays to convey certain themes, many of which are only known to Mrs. Gardner as she burned all her notes. After viewing many rooms throughout the house, the students were then led to the central atrium for which the museum is most known. This expansive courtyard is flooded with light from the glass roof and can be seen from every room in the house. A team of dedicated horticulturists carefully hand water each tropical plant as every plant in the enclosure is alive, and most are original plants that Isabella selected. After taking a few pictures, the students were led out to the gift shop to

memorialize their visit with a print of one of the famous paintings or one of their many books on flowers and horticulture. There is no doubt that this museum is an exquisite celebration of European art of all kinds, and is a unique experience that is worth the trip for all Bostonians.