Unknown, Venice
Isabella Stewart Gardner and Gaillard Lapsley in a Gondola, Venice, 21 August 1897 - 1 September 1897
Gelatin silver print, 8.4 x 8.5 cm (3 5/16 x 3 3/8 in.)
This 1897 image is shown in black and white. Isabella Stewart Gardner is seated in a gondola facing the viewers left, and her head turned towards the viewer. She is dressed in a white patterned dress with a flat brimmed hat with white flowers on top. She holds a a parasol in her right hand. Seated next to her in the gondola to our right is Gaillard Lapsley, who is dressed in a dark jacket, white shirt, round glasses and a brimmed hat. His arm closest to the viewer is bent upward with his elbow on the side of the gondola with his chin resting in his hand. The image is taken from boat-level. Behind them, standing on the end of the gondola, is a gondoliere who is dressed in a long white coat with a large flat brimmed hat and holding the oar across his chest. The buildings on the far shore are visible in the distance, with the dome of St. Mark’s Cathedral to our right. Inscribed in pencil in the upper section is: “ISG = Lapsley near/S. Della Salute.”
Vatichino
Commentary
Isabella Stewart Gardner kept meticulous records of many of her acquisitions. In keeping with this legacy, object information is continually being reviewed, updated, and enriched in order to give greater access to the collection.