The Ringling: An Unforgettable World of History
The Ringling museum, though quite a distance away, is one of the best museums to visit for those interested in the arts. With 21 magnificent galleries, from contemporary pieces all the way back to ancient times, the museum is much more grandiose than anyone expects. It may even be the best art museum in the state.
Everywhere you go in this museum, you will see the Biblical hero, David. The sculpture garden, which includes a variety of beautiful Greek and Roman style, exists around the gargantuan copy of Michelangelo’s famed renaissance statue. Postcards, pens, even signs for restricted areas are ornamented with the easily recognizable figure. Personally, I believe this is where the museum sells itself short. A copy of a famous statue is nowhere close to the level of historic value this museum holds within its walls. In the various galleries, every single one has something of substance to make your jaw drop.
One sizable room holds many large and ornate pieces by the famed Baroque artist, Peter Paul Ruebens. These 400-year-old paintings are rich in detail and expression, and exhibit a unique understanding of both human emotion and form. One painting, the most well-known perhaps, is titled “The Meeting of Abraham and Melchizedek” and towers above the viewer. The leaning of the figures toward the center, along with the emphasis of Abraham’s bright red cloak, pulls the audience in towards the piece. The main figures seem to lean towards each other, creating a unique sense of both tension and hospitality. As the citizens of the painting are drawn towards the event in the center of the scene, so too are the viewers drawn to the clever yet subtle use of expression, light, and emphasis.
In another room, though it may be easily missed, a single small painting by Marcel Duchamp is displayed. The frame is heavily patterned and detailed, bringing attention to the obvious simplicity of the impressionistic piece. Those aware of Duchamp’s famed “Fountain” may deliberate on this painting, titled “Saint Sebastian,” with some level of satire. In reality, there is no way to know whether the artist meant this piece to be satirical. Marcel Duchamp was known to dabble in a variety of artistic styles, from impressionism to cubism to Da-Da (which he created). The piece at hand utilizes quick strokes and a simple color palette, so that while the expression of the figure is quite clear, the details are anything but. Additionally, the background is mostly white, adorned only with a couple pink lines the same color as the flesh. In that way it is quite different from the other impressionist works of the time. While other impressionist artists mask their art with color, Duchamp revels in the sheer simplicity of the painting. So, amongst artists of the time, it may make everyone question the artistic value of impressionism. Whether that was an intentional commentary though, is something lost to time.
As I surveyed the wall of a pink room of baroque oils, a particular piece caught my eye. It is not a piece by someone very famous, nor is it a particularly renowned painting. But something in The Flaying of Marsyas by Antonio de Bellis just catches both eye and soul. The painting depicts a scene from the Greek story of Apollo and Marsyas, where a satyr challenged the god Apollo to a music contest. After they were equal on various challenges, Apollo turned his lyre upside down and challenged Marsyas to do the same with his aulos (a double flute). No sound came out. Because of that, Marsyas lost the contest, and was flayed alive. The monochromatic red of this piece brings to mind all the feelings Marsyas experiences in the story. Fear, danger, and pain. Both figures appear as ghastly pale, their emotions juxtaposed, as Marsyas’s face is full of terror, and Apollo’s is as emotionless as stone. The piece, amongst a select few which depict scenes from Greek mythology instead of the more common Christian scenes, shows a major idea of the Greeks which is still existent in today’s culture. Hubris. The gory painting reflects the essence of human pride, the sense that we are inherently wrong in saying that we are the best, in reaching for the stars, even as we do just that. The emotion in the figures is captivating. Limbs and fabric fly dramatically in the violence of the scene, with instruments tossed aside, almost unnoticeable. It is a horror story, that it definitely is, but even deeper is a tale that has been told for millennia.
Those who know me will be hardly surprised at the impossibility of not discussing Artemisia Gentileschi in this article. A lesser-known painter of the time, Gentileschi was one of very few female artists during the baroque period, and one particularly known for her works depicting women. Her paintings can be best described as ‘women overcoming men.’ That is to say, she depicts various biblical scenes in which a woman plays a major role or overcomes a male villain. The intense trauma of Gentileschi’s life fueled her unique take on these scenes, and especially her most famous piece “Judith Slaying Holofernes.” Although they are unfortunately not on view at the moment, the Ringling is lucky to house two of her works. I was fortunate enough, at least, to see “Bathsheba at her Bath,” a piece which highlights Bathsheba, who in the bible is the wife of David. David is in the piece, barely in the background, and blending in with its colors exactly. Various figures surround Bathsheba and tend to her, while a small dish is being used to clean her feet. It is rare to see any reference to Bathsheba in art without the focus being on David. That is primarily the point Artemisia Gentileschi makes in this painting. She depicts Bathsheba with all the virtue and beauty which she can, while making the man of the story an afterthought. This is the sort of art that makes you think, that reveals a deeper meaning. By depicting Bathsheba with so much emphasis and focus, Gentileschi suggests the idea of women with power. In the 1600’s, this was still a very new idea.
All this is what makes the Ringling worth visiting. The painting in the corner that catches your eye and moves your soul. The breathtaking scenes that draw you in, in search of some interpretation. The small pieces, so almost ordinary that an untrained eye might miss their importance. Of course, I can’t guarantee all of these paintings will be on display when other people decide to go. But I can guarantee that hidden within these many walls are various treasures, just waiting to be appreciated. That’s why the Ringling Museum is the best in the state. The artwork mentioned in this article is only a sliver, a small fraction of the various pieces the museum contains. Do you like the 1200’s? 21st century? Ancient civilizations? They have it all. The Ringling truly is the most impressive museum I have ever seen.