Mable Ringling Museum

The best attraction on the west coast in Sarasota, Florida is The John & Mable Ringling Museum of Art. Mr. Ringling and his wife Mable purchased the property in Sarasota back in 1911.John H. Philips designed this beautiful museum along with twenty-one galleries. The museum opened to the public in 1932, and in 1936 when Mr. Ringling passed on he left the museum to the people. The museum was the official state museum in 1980, and in 2000 the museum became a part of Florida State University. This was the first time ever visiting the museum, and I must say it was a very educational, and enjoyable experience. The museum operates daily from 10am to 5pm. In addition, the museum features years of art from Europe, Asia and America. I now look at art

The tour began in the beautiful outdoor courtyard with fine Italian architecture which finished in 1929.Mr. Ringling purchased most of the outdoor sculptures from Italy. In addition, many of the sculptures were originally supposed to be displayed in the Ritz Carlton, but never made it there because Mr. Ringling sent Julius Boger to Italy to pick and choose those sculptures to be displayed in Mr. Ringling’s sculpture garden. As the docent tour guide Maureen continued, she pointed out the large beautiful columns and bases all along the courtyard, and asked the crowd what do we see wrong with the columns, and bases? After a brief pause Maureen responded to the question, and stated that all the bases were uneven due to short, and tall columns. When you look closely at the columns you can see the different size bases. Moreover as the tour continued outside our next sculpture to mention was The turtle fountain originally from Rome sculptured by Giacomo Della Porta in 1658.The men sculpture holding up the turtles to the fountain was very unique along with the solid base. Another fountain to mention during the sixteenth century is the fountain of oceanus by Giovanni da Bologna. The three men sculptures give this fountain a classic Renaissance look spilling down to the fountain base. Lastly, outside before going in to the

I’ve encountered a painting by Wang Qingsong called Red, White and Frozen Peony, 2003.The painting was a chromogenic color print. The painting shows three plant sculptures with the first looking like a small rose bush with the roses made from meat/capicola ham. The second plant looking frosty frozen with a grey background, and lastly the plant sculpture looking like a white rose bush made with the white roses made from pork. This photo supports a memory of his mother. The frozen bush in the second picture serves as a part of that time of winter season. To preserve and study a creative endeavor gives the museum value of the study, and education to the people. Each time has a unique story to be told by the creativity of the art. It gives the people something to always analyze and think