Italian, Venice
Portfolio with Notepaper, Envelopes, and a Photograph, 19th century
Gilded parchment
This vertical Italian portfolio is made of gilded parchment. Near the center left is a winged lion on top of the upper part a column. The off-white area around the lion is surrounded by a golden floral-patterned border. The top and bottom of the portfolio are bordered by horizontal black bands with a golden floral pattern. Inside the portfolio are papers including off-white stationery with 'Green Hill, Brookline Mass.' written in capital letters, a light brown piece of paper with Isabella Stewart Gardner's signature , and a print of John Singer Sargent’s watercolor portrait of Mrs. Gardner in White. The photograph appears to have been splattered by liquid.
Macknight Room
Commentary
This gilded parchment portfolio has a winged lion in the corner—a symbol of Isabella's favorite city, Venice. She kept it on her desk in the Macknight Room and tucked stationery and papers inside. She likely purchased it from a skilled artisan on one of her many visits to the canal city.