While traveling throughout Asia, Isabella acquired three porcelain vessels covered with vine patterns and stylized scriptures. Read how these Chinese artifacts detail Arabic phrases from the central religious text of Islam and give us a greater global perspective.

Ever wonder about the architecture of the Gardner Museum’s Courtyard? Read on to find out how Isabella used windows, balconies, and arches salvaged from grand Venetian palazzos to create her own unique vision.

At the Gardner, cascades of blooming vines appear each spring and inspire artists like Arthur Pope and James Prosek. Learn more about these colorful flowers and how their 100-year history is still a celebrated annual tradition.

An intercontinental friendship between Isabella and a Russian diplomat led to an exchange of exquisite egg-shaped pendants. Read how this unlikely bond yielded a symbolic treasure.

Learn about one of Isabella’s illuminated papal manuscripts and her audience with a pope.

Think dusting your home is a challenge? Imagine the effort that goes into keeping the Gardner Museum clean!

Esther is one of a handful of female biblical heroes and someone who defied social norms for the greater good, qualities Gardner may have felt drawn to when building her collection.

Artist Anders Zorn dubbed Isabella’s friend and occasional rival Bertha Palmer the “Empress of Chicago.” Learn more about their shared friendship and love of the arts.

The musical legacy of African American spirituals inspires a contemporary music group one hundred years after Isabella was introduced to the genre.