More fun than a circus!

"Art is not what you see, but what you make others see." - Edgar Degas, French painter (1834-1917)


What do you do when your mind is full to the brim and you can't take in another thought? You fill it to overflowing with more goodies! Such is the case of following the Medieval and Renaissance Studies Conference with a visit to the Ringling Museum of Art adjacent to the campus of New College. Like going for the whole cheesecake after you've already had your fill of the chocolate cake. Way too much, but you can't just pass it by, can you?!

Founded in the early 19th century by John and Mabel Ringling (yes, of Ringling circus fame) who were among the bon vivants and art collectors extraordinaire of their day. Their museum rivals the best in Europe, both in terms of the collections -- works by Rubens, Titian, Velazquez, Gainsborough and treasures from antiquity among them -- and in terms of the beautiful buildings and grounds. Picture Renaissance Florence meets semi-tropical paradise and you get the picture.

We attended a special exhibit entitled "Gothic Art in the Gilded Age: Medieval and Renaissance Treasures in The Gavet-Vanderbilt-Ringling Collection" that displayed paintings, sculpture, and decorative articles from these periods as they might have adorned the homes of Ringling and his fellow elites.


A return (and lengthier) visit to the Ringling Museum is on my summer agenda!