- My favorite type of museum are houses, usually mansions, that include a collection of artwork belonging to the owner. Before going to Sir John Soane’s, the Isabella Stuart Gardner museum was my favorite. The museum is one of her homes and is filled with the art and furniture she had collected over her lifetime. Each side of the house is a different color and the art and furniture coordinate with each color, and is set up to replicate the organization it must have had while she lived there. The art surrounds a large covered courtyard garden that provides most of the light for the museum. The first floor is filled with sanctuaries reflecting different cultures.
Both museums are filled with loads of art but the Gardner museum has much less sculptures and more artwork. Of course we weren’t able to go upstairs in the Sir John Soanes museum, which I’m sure is filled with more utilitarian pieces, the Gardner museum has more of a relationship between the art and the living spaces. Additionally, light plays an interesting role in both museums. The windows and skylights create odd patches of light and color which highlight certain pieces in the SJS, while the courtyard provides illuminating light on the artwork at ISG.
I love both museums, and have been to a few others very similar, so it is very interesting to compare and contrast the two!!
Red Room at Sir John Soane’s Museum (From internet)
Red Room at Isabella Stuart Gardner
I really enjoyed your analysis of the Sir John Soane Museum contrasted with the Isabella Stuart Gardener Museum. I didn’t know that there was a museum similar to the SJS in the United States. I’ll definitely have to visit next time I’m in Boston! I also really enjoy visiting museums that were former living spaces because you can see how people would have interacted with the art work and design pieces such as furniture. The SJS Museum had so many pieces of art work stuffed in it that it made the space feel cramped and it was difficult to appreciate any individual piece. In contrast, the Victoria and Albert Museum made excellent use of space so each piece of art could be enjoyed.