Chasing Beauty: The Life of Isabella Stewart Gardner

by Natalie Dykstra

The vivid and masterful story of an American original—a formidable art collector and builder of one of America’s most unique and stunning museums—a late bloomer whose own life was remade by art. Isabella Stewart Gardner’s museum, with its plain exterior enfolding an astonishing four-story Italian palazzo, rose from Boston’s Fens in 1902. The museum would be a work of art in itself—the first built to house a private collection, which included the first Vermeer and first Botticelli in America. Its treasures encompassed not only paintings but tapestries, rare books, prints, porcelains, fine furniture—all in evocative, intimately personal arrangements. An extraordinary achievement of storytelling and scholarship, Chasing Beauty uncovers the multi-layered self-portrait encoded in the museum’s objects and rooms, at the same time delivering the story of a life every bit as dazzling and haunting.   Born in 1840 to a privileged New York family, Isabella Stewart married Boston Brahmin Jack Gardner before she was twenty. Misunderstood by Boston’s internecine society, Isabella suffered the death of her only child, a beloved two-year-old boy. In time, friendships, glittering and bohemian; awe-inspiring world travels; being in the presence of beautiful things; and soon enough collecting them with a keen eye and competitive pace—all these became balm for loss. Henry James and John Singer Sargent—whose portrait of Isabella was a masterpiece and a scandal—came to recognize her originality. Bernard Berenson, leading connoisseur of the Italian Renaissance, was her art dealer. From award-winning author Natalie Dykstra, the uncovered story of the complex and singular woman behind one of the most fascinating museums in America and the world—a tale of beauty and loss, grit and American self-invention. 

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, Art, History, Art History, Biography Memoir, Audiobook

509 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 26, 2024

About the author

Natalie Dykstra is emerita professor of English and senior research professor at Hope College. She received her undergraduate degree in Classics followed by graduate degrees in American Studies at the University of Wyoming and the University of Kansas.

Reviews

[Brendan (History Nerds United) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let me make a quick confession. I just don't find Isabella Stewart Gardner all that compelling. I don't have a particular issue with her. She seems to have been a decent human for the most part even though it is clear that she probably had some self-entitlement issues as someone who grew up with (and married into) enormous wealth. However, two other famous names come up in this book, Harriet Beecher Stowe and Abigail Adams. I couldn't help but compare and I found that Isabella paled in comparison. I fully understand someone more well versed in art and fashion may heartily disagree with my assessment of her. I absolutely concede this is my opinion and not a fact.

At this point, you must assume that I am not recommending Chasing Beauty. In fact, I very much recommend this book. Somehow, although I could not personally connect with Gardner, author Natalie Dykstra made me totally okay with reading on anyway. Her meticulous research and ability to stick to the interesting or emotional beats of Gardner's life made it an easy read. If this seems totally surprising, well, then welcome to my world because I am shocked, too. But here we are!

In summary, if you are into art and fashion, you should definitely read this book. If you are not the target audience like me, you won't be mad if you sat down with this book anyway.

(This book was provided as an advance copy by Mariner Books.)

[Vanessa M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great, detailed biography of a woman inspired by beauty, art, and culture. Gardner's life consisted of extensive travel and expansive relationships (many being with other well-known upper crust society members). Dykstra's labor of love allows us a peek inside the woman who built her own art museum in Boston.

[Sean · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am a "First Reads" winner. Thank you to the author and the publisher.

How to approach my reading of 'Chasing Beauty' ... conflicted ...

The Positive:
1. The care, thought, and level of detail the author took in her writing.
2. The author's joy of ISG's life and contributions.

My Frustrations:
1. The book's length and level of detail - Everything, it seems, minus, perhaps, ISG's "kitchen sink."
2. The biggest missing piece: The joy of ISG. Somewhere, in all the detail, the spirit of ISG seemed to be imbedded but never fully came through, only flighting glimpses.

For me, the best parts of 'Chasing Beauty' were the bookends: ISG's early life and her final days. The large expanse in the middle was a blur.

[Lucy Hodgman · Rating 3 out of 5]

turns out you don’t actually need to be a very interesting person to make the best museum ever…

[Eleni · Rating 4 out of 5]

“God gives us beauty, not as his argument but as his offering— a gift that immerses us in something that allows us to touch hope, to taste healing, to tangibly encounter something opposite to disintegration and destruction.”

Sally Clarkson

A wonderfully researched biography of a multifaceted woman! I first became interested in Isabella Stewart Gardner after reading Rembrandt is in the Wind by Russ Ramsey. The chapter detailing the unsolved thefts of many priceless works of art from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum left me curious to know more. Her story is full of great tragedy, but also great passion. She transformed her grief into a pursuit of beauty and then put that beauty on display for the world. Now I need to plan a visit to the museum!

[Joleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

in my nonfiction era!!! this was so well researched and well written. there was so much information in here, but it was never boring. it was interesting to read about how art influenced Isabella from such a young age, as well as how invested she was in learning about the history/provenance of every piece she owned. a lot of art collectors just collect because they can, not because they truly resonate with the art like Isabella did. (btw, solid art descriptions and comparisons from Dykstra!) I loved how collecting became a purpose and platform for her, especially considering this was a time when many women did not have voices of their own. she truly was a powerhouse of a woman, and her inner circle of famous friends alone proves this! once again, I’m a nerd, so learning about her friendships with some of my favorites artists (Beaux, Sargent, Whistler, etc.) brought me so much joy. Dykstra also explores the ISG persona vs. the real ISG, suggesting that her flamboyance was actually how she ‘got away’ with being a rather scandalous woman – or a woman who knew herself and what she wanted her legacy to be. “In her own time and now, Isabella Stewart Gardner seems like a bright sun. We can look around her, but not directly at her”. I’m just obsessed with the level of mystique that still surrounds her! I will say that reading this without having been to the museum may be difficult. I’ve been many times & I still feel like I need to go back to fully grasp all that I learned in here. lucky for me, I live in Boston :)

[Christine Hopkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 not quite what I was hoping for stars

If you are looking for this biography to give you lots of information on who Isabella Stewart Gardner was, you will be very disappointed. Gardner the woman is rarely spotted as she requested many people close to her to destroy her correspondence with them. It isn't clear as to why she did this. I think paints her in a poor light as she sounds like she wasn't the most likeable character for the majority of her life. I honestly can't tell you much more about her now than I could when I began the novel.

However, if you're for insight into how she collected for her museum and the famous friendships she had, you will enjoy it immensely. Henry James, John Singer Sargent and many others are sprinkled throughout and Dykstra's writing adds more to portrait I have in my head of life in New York and Boston at the turn of the century.

[Morgan Sandner · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The epilogue better talk about the heist." -Me like 4 minutes ago (they did, which is how I learned the heist was on my birthday!)
Fantastic book from a biographical or artistic interest perspective.

[Andrea Engle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Born in 1840, Isabella Stewart Gardner was unusual, and when she married Jack Gardner in 1860 and moved to Boston, she became even more unusual … This detailed biography introduces an early American art collector and founder of Fenway Court, which after her death became known as the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Boston … fascinating …

[Cass · Rating 3 out of 5]

A solid effort, but not great. It’s a very complete biography, covers much interesting history and detail, but the end result is oddly unsympathetic.
There are many references to Gardner being different, disliked, unaccepted in Boston society- but somehow we never get a feel for what on earth the problem was. Was she nasty? What exactly did she say or do? Or even- what did people say about her? This outsider-ness is made to seem important in the story, but it is left incredibly vague. The only live example (other than being short tempered with servants and cheating on her taxes, which aren’t exactly unique vices) is the business about making people traipse up and down a staircase to greet her, which does indeed seem rude.
Lacking any sense of Gardner’s specialness, the whole business of constructing a pseudo Venetian palazzo in the middle of a northeastern American city doesn’t seem glorious, it just seems self-dramatizing. Her insistence on presenting her own loot in her own way seems pointless. It’s not as though she was a particular expert in anything- even if she had been, to not be able to see that exhibits may need to change in the future is to be fairly unimaginative. (Somehow a similar provision for the Camondo Museum is touching, instead of annoying.)
In the end, she seems famous for being a great shopper, a dedicated spender of her husband’s earnings, as well as her inheritances. So what?
On the whole, it’s a very competent biography that I almost wish I had not read.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

For the most part, I enjoyed reading this biography of Isabella Stewart Gardner. She suffered heartbreak as a young wife when her beloved toddler died and she realized she would have no more children. Travel to Europe was recommended as a solution to her deep depression and it seemed to work as she became enamored by the arts and started on a life long habit of accumulating paintings and other art objects. She also had a gift for friendship and made many friends among painters and writers. Along the way she developed the idea of building a museum to house her growing collection. Money seemed to be no object and fortunately she had good taste. She contributed to charities and cared deeply for her motherless nephews. But the constant spending soured on me. In the book she is constantly complaining about running out of money, but in the next sentence is spending vast sums once again. Like almost everyone else in the Gilded Age, it never seemed to occur to her whether it was right and just for one person to have such wealth and to focus one's life almost entirely on spending it. In the end it made me nauseous.

[Tracy Flannery · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bostonians, art enthusiasts and fans of the beautiful Isabella Stewart Gardener Museum will enjoy this well-researched biography. After she married and moved from New York to Boston, Gardner was shirked by the staid Boston "Brahmin" society and was struck with grief when she lost her only child. Her significant wealth allowed her to escape and travel the world for extended periods of time, nurturing her passion and knowledge about art and architecture. Eventually this led to her nearly maniacal acquisition of "all things beautiful", with the ultimate goal of creating a museum within her home, similar to the residential displays she had witnessed on her European excursions. Unfortunately, Mrs. Gardner's drive could be ruthless, and her exacting standards left victims in her wake, but we are all now the lucky beneficiaries of her unique and extraordinary vision.

[Jeff M Millett · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an epic life Isabella Stuart Gardner lived! Many lives. Natalie Dykstra paints a masterful portrait of a throughly modern and relatable individual. An ambitious, independent, energetic, accomplished, connected, and successful woman in a time, like ours, when these qualities could make a woman suspect. Yes, she was born into wealth, but what she chose to do with that wealth, how she lived, and who she associated with, was beyond ordinary in her time and a model for ours. Like Isabella Stuart Gardner’s legacy museum, this ambitious story is brilliantly curated and a flowing effortless pleasure to experience.

[Elizabeth Jafek · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was so delighted to find a book about the unique and remarkable Isabella. The descriptions of the works brought me back to the museum I’ve been to so many times, and helped me appreciate more about the extraordinary vision that brought them together. I didn’t quite feel like I got to know Isabella in a more personal way through this book, despite how well researched it clearly is — I think that’s in large part because Isabella instructed her friends to burn all her letters and they almost all complied.

[Molly]

I find ISG incredibly fascinating! I try not to give reviews to non-fiction, but I will read/listen to/watch pretty much anything about ISG and her museum. (And if you find yourself in Boston, don’t miss visiting—it’s stunning!)

[Caitlyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

very insightful look into Isabella’s life, helpfully spanning her background until her death. Author did a great job of enlivening Isabella and sharing her vibrant personality with good use of quotes from her and contemporaries and accompanying images. Some conclusions felt like a little bit of a reach, but other observations (particularly regarding her son, Jackie) were aptly made. Very comfortable style of writing that prevented any lagging and kept every aspect of Isabella’s life engaging. enjoyed it! :-)

[Farren]

Absolutely thrilling, what a life. Being a wealthy art collector seems like nice work if you can get it. Time to pay Boston a visit?

[Chrissy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a perfect accompaniment to the museum visit I took this past weekend. The biography helped make sense of art and Isabella’s intention with museum at Fenway court. I’d recommend to anyone a fan of the hbo show the gilded age and or anyone who enjoys learning about the historical high society of Boston.

[Hermien · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating life and the museum is definitely going on my to do list.

[Rosie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really appreciated the art history and historical components of this book, but I found myself lacking any attachment or admiration for Isabella Gardner.

[Tåsi · Rating 4 out of 5]

If Isabella Stewart Gardner were alive today, she definitely would have been a guest judge on Drag Race. 4⭐️

[Helena · Rating 5 out of 5]

amazingly researched and compassionately written; made me discover that i do think that i am indeed a reincarnation of ISG because the similarities are too specific to be a coincidence; reinforced my belief that seems to have been the motto of ISG's life: the only antidote to pain is art and beauty

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Natalie Dykstra's love and respect for Isabella Stewart Gardner defines and shines through this book. She avoids simple characterizations of a woman who was decidedly complicated. Above all, my takeaway from Chasing Beauty is that Gardner was a singular woman who devoted herself to an ambition for which there was no precedent in American history: the creation of a deeply personal art museum.

Before reading Chasing Beauty, I knew that Gardner had been involved in every aspect behind the design, construction, and operation of her museum, but I did not properly appreciate just how revolutionary her work was for her time. I loved reading about Gardner's curatorial choices for her museum and feel like it will further enrich my visits to the museum.

[Greg Giles · Rating 2 out of 5]

The fact that the footnotes and index alone run over 70 pages tells you all you need to know.

The phrase "meticulously researched" was coined just for this book.

After reading this, it's not so much that I get the sense of who Isabella Stewart Gardner was, it's that I feel like she moved in with me, redecorated my home, showed me every slide from every trip she'd ever taken, and sequestered me and all my friends for a couple of months.

If that sounds appealing to you, you'll love this book.

[John Roberts · Rating 3 out of 5]

The research that went into this biography is exceptional. Her life story is fascinating and her contributions to art are legendary. I wish the author had not gone into so much detail about all of her acquisitions. Those parts often became dry and overdone.

[Susan G · Rating 3 out of 5]

Isabella Stewart Gardner is a remarkable and fascinating woman. I enjoyed learning about her life, but I found this book a bit more of a travelogue and who’s who of the gilded age than a beautiful reflection of who she was.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

In my continued quest to read everything ever written about Isabella SG. Well researched. Well paced. And I still learned new details.

Natalie Dykstra’s biography of Clover Adams was also terrific.

[Karen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Although I sense meticulous research and a knowledge of the subject beyond compare, the writing is dry and repetitive.

[Audrey Approved · Rating 4 out of 5]

Isabella Stewart Gardner was a wealthy American collector, Boston society woman, and arts patron. She was both an outsider and a trendsetter, eccentric and unapologetic in her demeanor. That being said, much of her life is one of luxury and leisure - she travelled the world (this woman knew how to vacation), met with friends and family members, went to society functions, and most notably, bought a lot of art.

All these activities are described in excruciating chronological detail by Dykstra in Chasing Beauty. I can easily see how somebody picking this up at random might find 500+ pages devoted to Gardner’s travels and social life dull (she must have gone to Europe at least 25 times, and each trip is described at length). But I genuinely enjoyed the entire reading experience.

The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum is Gardner’s legacy, and it is a unique museum experience. If you have plans to visit Boston, I highly recommend timing your reading of Chasing Beauty with a visit to the museum. I finished the book the day before we went, and it was SO much fun to walk through the galleries recognizing pieces I had just read about - knowing their provenance, what Isabella thought of them, and the circumstances under which she acquired them. This is especially true because the museum has no labels or informational signboards, per Isabella’s instructions. All the pieces were arranged and placed by Gardner herself, so works from vastly different periods sit side by side and visitors are simply asked observe what they gravitate toward. As a result, the museum feels far more intimate than a traditional institution. And that central courtyard is so stunning!! It’s easy to understand why Gardner spent the last ~20 years of her life living there.

I'd recommend this to folks to like art history, are interested in Boston's Gilded Age, enjoy immersive biographies, and like to hear about the ultra wealthy spend their time.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Impeccably researched and written—it encompasses a strong heartbeat at its core against the chronology of her life’s path and that of the times in which she lived.

If you haven’t been to the Gardner museum—go now! It is an incomparable wonder of the world and leaves one with all sorts of questions about the clearly formidable will that brought it to life.

I’m not surprised that a woman in her position, in her time, would have been entitled or demanding. I admire her deeply, but that doesn’t mean we’d necessarily work well together. Like everyone, she had her ghosts, triumphs, failures, and challenges. In many ways she certainly pales in comparison to civil rights figures of the day, but I would argue that her contribution to society and the way in which she embraced so many people and ideas that others dismissed outright puts her light years ahead of her time in ways that also matter. The book gives the impression she would have been a very hard and eccentric nut to crack with a soft but steady center that propelled her forward as much as it grounded her (for better and worse). At the end of the day, I’m very grateful she put it towards creating something that has been deeply meaningful and inspiring to myself and so many others.

I have yet to read Louisa Hall Tharp’s earlier biography, but I do hope to someday and am interested to see how the two books—and their assessment of ISG— differ.