The State Art Museum of Florida, the Ringling museum has a neat collection of art, circus attributes, art books all in one place- a luxury winter home and gardens of the Ringlings.
John Ringling was a successful businessman who partly owned and operated the circus in the 1920s to become one of the richest men in the U.S. John Ringling and his wife Marble shared a passion for art, collecting art in Europe.
Highlights from the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art
Art Museum Highlights
The art museum has a pretty big collection of Flemish, Dutch, English & American Art as well as Italian, Spanish and French paintings and some sculptures. You can find their extensive collection online but the digital images are quite small and can’t replace the experience of seeing art in person. John Ringling built the initial collection between 1920s-30s that was later expanded by the museum curators.
Roman courtship
The tremendous size and beauty of this painting will leave you speechless. While this neoclassical style painting (with luxury and decadence of the Roman Empire) fell out of fashion by the 20th century, the artistic merit is obvious here. Strong design and composition, color harmony and a much lesser known story from Greek mythology will hypnotize you once you’re in the gallery.
Three sisters- three fates span the thread, while the oldest one cuts it, thus determining a man’s lifespan. I love how the cupid forms a circle around the couple with a bright garland of flowers. Soft greens of the fabric mimic the greens in a pillow, mosaics, and a marble bench.
Still life with plates
The Rringling art museum, Cristoforo Munari, Italian (1667-1720), Still life with plates, 1710, oil on canvas
This oil painting is remarkable thanks to realistic painting of textures. Various candied fruits, fruits, and breads looks incredibly rich and tasty. Their warm, orange tones contrast the cool blues of the vases and plates. During the 16th and 17th centuries sugar cane was very expensive in Europe and only the wealthy could afford purchasing it. The white pyramidal shape you see in this painting is the cane sugar itself.
Narcissus
While this painting’s chiaroscuro and fabric’s bright red are reminiscent of the Caravaggio’s work, the vivid blues of the sky are similar to the Venetian school of painting.
In Greek mythology, Narcissus was a beautiful young man who fell in love with his own reflection once he rejected Echo (who was unable to speak her love for him). When he died, Narcissus turned into a flower that we call the narcissus.
Still life with parrots
De Heem is one of my favorite realist Dutch painters. This school of painting loved to capture realistic textures of lavish objects. Such still life paintings expressed status and wealth of a person who commissioned the art. Rare parrots and seashells, exuberant silverware were expensive goods in the 17th-century Netherlands. The merchants often commissioned paintings to show off their wealth.
Sculpture
Circus Museum
Circus museum is a fun place to visit for adults and children alike who can learn about the industry’s history, actors, and circus acts in extensive displays that include wardrobes, props, wagons and posters.
CA’ D’ZAN House
Well, if you’ve visited Venice, Italy, you can certainly recognize its ornate Venetian Gothic style of the palazzi. The Ringlings had been traveling throughout Europe for decades and brought art and inspiration back home. Their winter home faces Sarasota Bay with a view. The house exhibits artwork, furniture and art objects.
Contact:
5401 Bay Shore Road
Sarasota, FL 34243
Open Daily 10am-5pm.