The Ringling

John Ringling (1866-1936), the best known of the Ringling brothers, was an entrepreneur and in addition to owning and managing many of the largest circuses in the world, he was also a rancher, a real estate developer and art collector.

The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art is the official state art museum of Florida, and it’s located in Sarasota.  The institution offers 21 galleries of European painting as well as Cypriot antiquities and Asian, American and contemporary art, consisting of more than 10,000 pieces of art, all of which were a part of the Ringling private collection.  It was during John Ringling’s travels to Europe that he began establishing a collection of old world masterpieces and of Baroque art, and in 1928 he built a museum on the grounds of his estate in Sarasota to house his art collection.

The courtyard in the museum

A newer addition on the grounds of the estate, the Monda Gallery and the Chao Center, was built to house the collection of Asian and Contemporary art.

The grounds of the estate/museum are beautiful, and of course being my first day here, one of the things I noticed were the banyan trees.  Banyan Fig Trees are famous for their aerial roots, which sprout from branches and eventually reach the soil.

Foxtail Palm Tree seed pod

Although not technically ‘giant’ bamboo, I have to say I was still impressed with the bamboo growing here!

Southern Live Oak trees, an evergreen oak tree endemic to the Southeastern United States, are also lovely trees.  I particularly loved how the Spanish moss was growing all over these ones. (No need to worry, Spanish Moss is an epiphyte, not a parasite!)

Mable Ringling’s rose garden was completed in 1913 - she and her husband John are both buried very near this garden, in what is called the Secret Garden.

A Florida softshell turtle

Back inside, and into the art gallery…

When the Huntington mansion, in New York City, was destroyed in 1926, John Ringling purchased some of the home’s interior architectural features and then incorporated them into his gallery.  This marble frieze and fireplace came from the 5th Avenue Huntington mansion.

Part of the collection are several Peter Paul Rubens paintings … and yes, these are full-sized Rubens originals!

Ca’d’Zan (Venetian for “House of John” is the waterfront residence built for John and Mable Ringling, completed in 1926.  Designed in Venetian Gothic style, and overlooking Sarasota Bay, the mansion became the centre for cultural life in Sarasota for several years.

Didn’t go inside today, but if there’s time for another visit I’ll go inside Ca’D’Zan as well as the Circus Museum … you knew there had to be one!

Last thing for today was the Kotler-Coville Glass Pavillion at the Ringling, showcasing the Ringling’s collection of American and European glass pieces.

An incredible glass and wood sideboard by American artist Beth Lipman.