The Art of Scandal: The Life and Times of Isabella Stewart Gardner by Douglass Shand-Tucci. HarperCollins, 1997. Nonfiction. While this nonfiction title does tell about the life of collector and museum owner Isabella Stewart Gardner of Boston (1840-1924), it is really about the times she lived in as an adult. Painted by Sargent in 1888 as a strong married woman, she was painted again at age 82 by Sargent and portrayed as wrapped in gauze. The book focuses on the people Isabella knew, the young artists she mentored, her own ability to NOT follow the cultural norm, and her lifelong quest to find beauty. She travelled extensively, collected paintings, sculptures, and other historically important items. These, she put into her own home, designed to show off her collections, and to be given to the public as a museum. Purchased, arranged, and curated by a woman, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston stands as a living tribute to a unique person. This book serves as an introduction to her.
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