“C’est Mon Plaisir” is engraved below a phoenix, an emblem of immortality, on a crest that hangs in the entranceway to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum.
C’est Mon Plaisir. It’s My Pleasure.
The pleasure refers to the vast art collection that Isabella Stewart Gardner dedicated her life to curating. From the late 19th century through the early 20th century, Isabella collated one of the most eclectic and meaningful series of galleries the world has ever seen. And in 1990, 13 works estimated to be worth over 500 million dollars were stolen from her museum, the home she made in Boston.
Is this how Isabella is remembered? Not as a dedicated steward, patron of young artists, and scandalizing socialite, but by the empty frames that hang forlornly to this day in the Dutch Room of her museum?
Her life, her fears, and her triumphs shine bright, like she did. ISABELLA OF BOSTON reminds us that legacy can be created, yet it can just as easily be taken away. Like paintings cut out of their frames, casting shadows over a long and fascinating life, legacy is ultimately left up to the living.
ISABELLA OF BOSTON WAS CREATED BY AVERY L. INGVARSON AND NEIL KLEIN.
Recorded at Berklee PowerStation, the Isabella of Boston studio developmental recording included L Morgan Lee, RJ Christian, Miki Abraham, Ariella Serur, Olivia Billings, James C Harris, Rodrigo Ignacio Cruz, Christian Harward, Devin Zain, Evie Schuckman, and Delaney Ager.
The full recording was released on Isabella's birthday
April 14th, 2024
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