Boston is well-known for being one of the major centers of learning, not only of American history, but that of the world. And the city’s best art galleries and museums offer glimpses of the past, present, and future, as well as the human condition, through bronze and marble, oil and acrylic.
The following art museums are essential must-visits for any art lover in Boston:
- Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
Walking the halls and gardens of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum is akin to taking a world tour. First stop: Venice, with the museum building itself designed to resemble a grand Venetian palazzo. It culminates in a central courtyard adorned with statuary and seasonal blooms.
Inside, the palace houses almost 20,000 works of art that span centuries and continents, a good portion of it collected by none other than the museum’s founder, Isabella Stewart Gardner. Some of the most famous art masterpieces housed here include:
- The Rape of Europa, Titian (16th century)
- Adam and Eve, Lucas Cranach the Elder (16th century)
- The Story of Lucretia, Sandro Botticelli (about 15th century)
- Madame Gautreau Drinking A Toast, John Singer Sargent (19th century)
- Christ in the Storm on the Sea of Galilee, Rembrandt van Rijn (17th century)
The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum was also the target of the largest property theft in the world when, in 1990, 13 artworks were stolen. One of these paintings is the aforementioned Christ painting by Rembrandt.
- Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
A short 8-minute walk from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum lies the Museum of Fine Arts or MFA Boston. It holds the distinction of being the 14th most extensive and most comprehensive art museum in the world.
MFA puts the art in smart with its educational exhibits, programs, and public engagement while championing the preservation of the greatest works of art. Over one million art enthusiasts visit the museum’s halls annually.
To date, MFA houses approximately 500,000 artworks from around the globe. These include a sizable collection of ancient Egyptian and Nubian art, Impressionist and Post-impressionist paintings from the likes of Manet, Gauguin, Monet, and Pissarro, as well as a great array of 18th- and 19th-century American art.
- Institute of Contemporary Art Boston
Art is the language of progress, identity, and diversity. The Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) features the ebb and flow of modern society and Boston’s contemporary art scene through the works of today’s artists from all walks of life, all around the world. And since the ICA features a dynamic and ever-evolving roster of exhibitions, the museum warrants multiple visits throughout the year.
- Harvard Art Museums
Across the Charles River in the city of Cambridge, Harvard Art Museums is often included in the list of Boston’s cultural destinations.
Three distinct art galleries make up the entire facility: the Arthur M. Sackler Museum, which covers Middle Eastern, Asian, and Mediterranean heritage; the Busch-Reisinger Museum and Collection, which focuses on northern and central European culture; and the Fogg Museum, the oldest of the three and tackles Western culture, including the Middle Ages and as well as Italian, British, and French history.
Boston is the city to live for the art lover. Let me, Seydyss Barreto, help you find your place in this city’s rich cultural tapestry. Call me at 978.590.8918 or send me an email here to start.