The Knights Exhibition at The Ringling

By Ryan G. Van Cleave

If you enjoy the King Arthur tales, the Robin Hood stories, or even Monty Python and the Holy Grail, you’re going to love the upcoming Knights exhibition at The Ringling (February 3 – April 21, 2019).

Why is The Ringling bringing in a 15th- to 19th-century weapons-and-armor exhibition? “Because these are exquisite art objects, as well,” explains Dr. Sarah Cartwright, the Ulla R. Searing Curator of Collections at The Ringling. “The artisans are using the stylistic language of the period to decorate their equipment. As the status of knights increased, they used this equipment as symbols of status. The more aristocratic that knights became, the more interested they were in having their armor serve as displays of wealth and good taste.”

The 100+ piece exhibition—which includes full suits of armor, helmets, swords, and other weaponry—will take up the entire west side of the Searing gallery. One of the biggest WOW moments will surely come from witnessing a pair of mounted equestrian figures featuring both man and horse in full armor. Trained warhorses were extremely valuable, so great care was taken to provide them with as much protection as the riders received.

“This fascinating exhibition explores many facets of late-medieval and Renaissance warfare, and it gives visitors a chance to examine choice examples of arms and armor up close,” says Dr. Cartwright. “I think audiences will come away with a deep appreciation of the variety and beauty of these functional objects, and the extraordinary level of artistry involved in producing them.” To showcase that level of beauty, the exhibition will also include paintings that depict battles or individuals wearing armor.

Knights is the second collaboration between The Ringling and the Museo Stibbert, an Italian museum founded by Frederick Stibbert, an Anglo-Italian collector who lived in the latter half of the 1800s. He used his sizable inheritance to transform a Florentine hillside villa and park into the Museo Stibbert, which houses over 50,000 objects, with a special emphasis on European, Islamic, and Japanese arms and armor from the 15th to the 19th centuries. In 2016, the Museo Stibbert loaned magnificent examples of samurai arms and armor to The Ringling for their Samurai: The Way of the Warrior exhibit that was part of the opening of the Center for Asian Art. Knights is the European counterpart. For both exhibits, Contemporanea Progetti were the logistical organizers working with the Museo Stibbert and The Ringling.

“One thing that surprises me,” notes Dr. Cartwright, “is the degree to which motifs appear throughout art production of the period. We see skilled artisans making armor using the same motifs that are prevalent in architecture, manuscript illumination, printed books, and more. Clearly the taste of the period extended to everything—including armor. The detail they lavished on armor is tremendously impressive.” And she admits, too, that she has a deep personal interest in Knights since she once worked in a Florentine museum on the same hillside as the Museo Stibbert.

Another thing most don’t realize is that you didn’t just stop in at your local blacksmith and order up a full set of armor and weapons. The inherent challenges in making equipment were so great that everyone soon realized where the best center of production existed. If you wanted superior armor, you went to the specialized craftsmen in Milan or southern Germany. If you wanted first-rate blades, you worked with the bladesmiths in Toledo, Spain. Though getting a sword made proved even more challenging, since the Toledo smiths only made the blades. Local artisans were typically hired to fit these exquisite blades with a hilt and pommel, and then paired with an appropriate scabbard. Taken together, you can start to get a sense of why outfitting a knight was so expensive and why it became a symbol of taste and status. The earliest equipment in this exhibition is more functional than decorative, but the items from the 17th through 19th century really start to demonstrate a commitment to ornamentation and beauty.

Knights isn’t just for adults, though. The Ringling has created a number of programs to run in conjunction with the exhibition include a ViewPoint lecture on Saturday, February 16th, by Dirk H. Breiding, The J.J. Medveckis Associate Curator of Arms and Armor at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. And throughout March, Family Saturdays will provide the opportunity for people of all ages to explore the exhibition. On March 9th, the animated film Shrek will be shown in the Museum of Art Courtyard.

Those who can’t get enough of this impressive exhibition will be able to purchase a fully-illustrated color catalogue in the Museum Store. It features essays as well as entries on all the objects in the exhibition.

Steven High, Executive Director at The Ringling, says, “We are thrilled to bring Knights to our audiences in Sarasota.” For some time now, the idea of knights has occupied a large place in our cultural imagination. Now Knights will enlighten The Ringling visitors about the historical and functional contexts of arms and armor of this period, while also encouraging them to explore the undeniable beauty and artistic appeal of these stunning works.

For more information
about The John & Mable Ringling Museum of Art, please visit ringling.org or call 941.359.5700.