I had the delight to visit The Ringling Museum of Art. Eric and Lauren were visiting and mostly they went to the beach by themselves, but there were a few ventures I wanted to share with them. I had been wanting to go to Ringling Brothers in Sarasota for a long time, and when they said they would like to go, too, I jumped at the chance. We decided to go on a Monday and to our surprise, the Museum of Art was free of charge.
We decided to see how long it took us to stroll through the rooms and stop at favorite pieces of art, and then decide if we wanted to pay admission prices to continue to explore more of the grounds and other buildings that housed differing items.
On the way from the entrance to the museum we walked on paths that overlooked beautiful waterways and grounds.
And ponds. I thought this picture cool because it shows a duck, a turtle and a fish. Living very happily together!
This Museum is built as a square with doors that open to rooms of art through the arched entrances surrounding the perimeter of the structure. The grounds are exquisite!
Bronzes and Statues of gods are placed on lawn, under the arched entrances and on top of the buildings. People could sit under the arches on benches they provided to enjoy the view.
Inside the museum were rooms and rooms of Renaissance art. Here is the Blue Madonna painted by the Italian Carlo Dolci in the 17th century. I was mesmerized by this painting. Madonna's skin was such a contrast to the black background and the beautiful blue that surrounded her head. I could have looked at her all day.
I am not into Renaissance art that much but I have to admit, there were some gorgeous pieces.
It took us about 2-3 hours to browse the art, stopping and admiring some of the pieces, strolling past others.
We decided to go to Siesta Key for a late lunch, so that was my day at Ringling. Now I need to go back and visit the the Circus Museum, Bayfront Gardens and Ca' D'Zan, their private residence. They also have the Asolo Theatre on the grounds. It was built in Asolo, Italy, in 1798 and acquired by Ringling in 1949. Besides being open to the public for all to admire the architecture, it does have a theatre schedule.
The grounds are adjacent to the Gulf of Mexico, so when you look out over the grounds you see the water. And of course a palm tree.
What a great way to spend a Monday! All I can say is it is worth the trip, and he must have made an awful lot of money with those circuses. So glad he decided to collect art! for us to enjoy. I understand they have an art school, too. Will have to check that out.
Until tomorrow....have a great day.
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