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ART FULL Isabella Stewart Gardner in Venice, by Anders Zorn THE ISABELLA STEWART GARDNER MUSEUM CELEBRATES SWEDISH ARTIST ANDERS ZORN IN HIS FIRST MAJOR INTERNATIONAL LOAN EXHIBITION IN 25 YEARS. BY JESSICA LANIEWSKI T he Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum proves that what's old is new again with a groundbreaking exhibition of work by one of the most popular artists of the Belle Époque. "Anders Zorn: A European Artist Seduces America" is the first historic exhibition in the museum's new Renzo Piano–designed Hostetter Gallery and gives Americans a rare peek at the art of one of the late 19th century's most prolific international painters. A dedicated patron of the arts, Gardner first met Zorn at the Chicago World's Fair in 1893 and often hosted the Swedish artist at her home in Boston and at Palazzo Barbaro in Venice, Italy. His 1894 painting Isabella Stewart Gardner in Venice (ABOVE), which is part of the museum's collection, captures Gardner as she stepped from the balcony of Palazzo Barbaro late one evening. Struck by the beauty of the moment, Zorn asked her to pose in that very way for a sketch; Gardner subsequently became one of his most prominent American patrons. "This is a wonderful example of Zorn's talent as a portrait painter because it renders her youthful, dynamic, and elegant with her dramatic pose," says curator Oliver Tostmann, who joined the museum last spring. "It makes her approachable to the viewer and applies a very diverse and highly saturated palette—shades of white, blue, green, and red—with his quick, dashing style." The exhibit includes 22 drawings and 24 paintings, as well as photographs, letters, and gifts that Zorn gave Gardner. "Anders Zorn" is on view at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum through May 13. 280 The Fenway, 617-566-1401; gardnermuseum.org BC IMAGE COURTESY OF THE ISABELLA STEWART GARDNER MUSEUM a love affair with america 64 BOSTONCOMMON-MAGAZINE.COM 064_BC_SC_ArtFull_Spring13.indd 64 2/11/13 3:42 PM