Stop 102: Spanish Cloister 


Let’s move towards that huge painting under the scalloped arches, at one end of the room. Doesn’t it feel like it’s pulling us in? And do you hear that music? It’s Isabella’s favorite flamenco record, and it was a gift from the artist who made this painting: John Singer Sargent. The dancer swirls her skirts and stamps her feet as the men sing and play guitar. The shape of the dancer’s shadow against the wall has always reminded me of a whirlwind. Sargent titled the painting ‘El Jaleo’—which means… ‘The Ruckus’! 


Sargent and Gardner were close friends. He was one of the contemporary artists she promoted; in fact, he sometimes used one of the galleries upstairs as a studio. Her friendships with artists is one of the important stories of this museum. So is her relationship with music. I think that all those instruments in the painting must’ve delighted her. 


If you’re up close to the painting, take a few steps back from the alcove. The arches over the painting, and the columns holding up the arches, relate to Spanish architecture. Take a few steps further back, and look at the wall on your right. It’s embedded with hundreds of gorgeous patterned tiles. They’re from a Mexican church. 


Everything around the painting is part of Isabella’s installation. As you begin your journey in the museum, it’s important to know that Isabella designed it as an immersive environment. She didn’t leave writings about why she put certain things together, or set up the rooms the way she did. But she did say that she wanted to create an emotional response, rather than an intellectual one. She wanted to give her visitors a unique museum experience. That’s why there aren’t conventional labels in this museum. She wanted you to find your own meanings. 


Turn around now, so your back is to the painting, and start making your way slowly towards the other end of this long space. Feel the uneven stones under your feet. Let your eyes bounce around. There’s so much to see in every space of the museum, and it’s impossible to take in every detail. So let me give you some advice: In each room, spend a little time ‘zooming in’, looking closely at something that captures your immediate attention. Then move back and consider it in relationship to things that are near it, or what it’s facing across the room. You’ll start to see relationships—maybe ones that were Isabella’s intentions, or maybe ones that have come from your own experience. That’s the personal kind of response Isabella wanted you to have.