ephemerama

First visit to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum since they opened the new wing. There is a ‘living room’ with just couches and books about horticulture and art and mythology, and a new cafe (where I drank a generous glass of wine first thing), and a gallery upstairs for contemporary art, currently featuring stuff from past artists-in-residence (there will be a video installation this summer of an animated video someone made using photographs from a travel scrapbook Isabella kept in the late 1800s, I hope halfrat will go with me when it’s up). 

The courtyard garden had these enormous Dr. Seuss-like jade plants covered in tiny lavender flowers, and orchids and yellow jasmine. It was so quiet and empty tonight, especially the ‘old wing,’ and it seemed darker than ever and being there alone it was particularly creepy and awesome and haunted. The security staff seem to be entirely comprised of scrappy bearded dudes, some of whom wince when you say hello to them but one of whom winked at me! Each portrait of Isabella was so striking (pictured here) as always, but I was again unable to find the “angsty teen jesus” painting, which is one of my favorites but seems to have disappeared.

Also I was unsuccessful in talking myself out of buying a pair of candlesticks that look like birds’ feet at the gift shop. OH WELL TREAT YRSELF.