The Lioness of Boston

Wednesday, November 13, 2024, 1:30PM
No charge
Reservations required

Reservations are available for 2024-2025 programs for members on August 12 and for the public on August 19.

This book discussion features author Emily Franklin.

By the time Isabella Stewart Gardner opened her Italian palazzo-style home as a museum in 1903 to showcase her collection of old masters, antiques, and objects d’art, she was already well-known as an eccentric trailblazer, painted by John Singer Sargent in a portrait of daring décolletage, and fond of such stunts as walking a pair of lions in the Boston Public Garden. Franklin, author of more than 20 books, will be discussing Gardner’s impactful journey and uncovering the special bond between Isabella and Maud Howe Elliott.

Florida Voices is generously supported by the Fred J. Brotherton Endowment for Literature, established at The Four Arts by the Fred J. Brotherton Charitable Foundation. Fred Brotherton, who died in 2003, was for many years a Benefactor of The Four Arts and a strong supporter of its programs. Florida Voices, featuring the state that was Mr. Brotherton’s winter home, serves as a continuing memorial to this much-respected member of The Four Arts.