'Knights: Late-Medieval and Renaissance arms and armour' at The Ringling, Florida

This February, The Ringling will present Knights, an exhibition showcasing stunning examples of European arms and armour from the renowned collection of the Museo Stibbert in Florence, Italy. Through more than one hundred rare objects—including full suits of armour, mounted equestrian figures, helmets, swords and other weaponry—this exhibition tells the tale of the European knight from the medieval and Renaissance periods through to the Medieval Revival of the 19 century. Knights enlightens visitors about the historical and functional contexts of arms and armour of this period, while also encouraging them to explore the undeniable beauty and artistic appeal of these works.

Credit: The Ringling

Knights will be on view until April 21, 2019, in the Searing Wing of the Museum of Art. The exhibition was organized by Contemporanea Progetti in collaboration with the Museo Stibbert in Florence, Italy.

“This fascinating exhibition explores many facets of late-medieval and Renaissance warfare, and gives visitors a chance to examine choice examples of arms and armour up-close,” said Dr. Sarah Cartwright, the Ulla R. Searing curator of collections at The Ringling. “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.”

Credit: The Ringling

“We are thrilled to bring Knights to our audiences in Sarasota,” said Steven High, executive director of The Ringling. “We are especially pleased that this exhibition represents a second collaboration with the Museo Stibbert. In 2016, our visitors delighted in Samurai: The Way of the Warrior, and it is wonderful to now have the opportunity to present examples of European arms and armour from this magnificent collection.”

Programs organized in conjunction with the exhibition include a ViewPoint lecture with Dirk H. Breiding, The J.J. Medveckis associate curator of arms and armour at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, on Saturday, Feb. 16. Family Saturdays will explore this exhibition throughout the month of March. An interactive movie night in the Museum of Art Courtyard featuring the animated film Shrek will be held on March 8, 2019.

Credit: The Ringling

A fully-illustrated colour catalogue, which contains essays as well as entries on objects in the exhibition, will be available for purchase in the Museum Store.

About Federick Stibbert and the Museo Stibbert

Frederick Stibbert was an Anglo-Italian collector, born in Florence, Italy in 1838. A notable inheritance from his grandfather, who was first Commander-in-Chief of the British East India Company’s private army and then Governor of Bengal, allowed him to pursue his passion for collecting art, antiques, armour, weaponry and costumes. Stibbert ultimately transformed his hillside villa and park in Florence into the Museo Stibbert with an extensive collection of over 50,000 objects with special emphasis on European, Islamic and Japanese arms and armour from the 15th to the 19th centuries.

Source: The Ringling [January 16, 2019]