Journal of the History of Collections Advance Access originally published online on February 27, 2009
Journal of the History of Collections 2009 21(2):183-189; doi:10.1093/jhc/fhp019
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© The Author 2009. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.
This article appears in the following Journal of the History of Collections issue: Special Issue: The art collector-between philanthropy and self-glorification [View the issue table of contents]
Collectors and why they collect
Isabella Stewart Gardner and her museum of art
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Abstract |
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Isabella Stewart Gardner had the words ‘c’est mon plaisir’ carved into the brickwork above the front door of her museum as a statement of her intention in forming her collection. Although superficially this may have been true, in this paper it is argued that subconsciously Gardner collected in response to losses experienced throughout her life. This theme is traced through her collecting of designer dresses by Charles Frederick Worth, costumes that allowed her to reinvent herself after the death of her only child, and through her collection of rare books that marked a time of intellectual development and renewal. It is argued that her losses led her to surround herself with painters, writers and musicians, thus forming a collection of young artists. The purchase of her first Old Master was influenced by the loss of her son, and the creation of her museum inextricably linked to the death of her husband.
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