Henry and Isabella: The Art of Friendship

In connection with Henry James and American Painting, Henry and Isabella: The Art of Friendship uses archival materials from the Gardner's collection to paint a portrait of the long and intimate friendship between Isabella Stewart Gardner and novelist Henry James.

Isabella and her husband, Jack, spent considerable time in Venice where they rented the lavish Palazzo Barbaro on the Grand Canal from friends and fellow Boston expatriates, Daniel and Ariana Curtis. In 1892, James was a guest of the Gardners, and Palazzo Barbaro became the model for the palace in The Wings of the Dove. Sargent’s 1889 painting, An Interior in Venice, showcases the palazzo’s grand salon and is part of the exhibition, on loan from the Royal Academy of Arts in London. Gardner’s own meticulously crafted photo and travel albums record the profound impact that Venice, Palazzo Barbara, and her creative friends had on the formation of her Museum.