SAN FRANCISCO (March 7, 2017)—The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco are pleased to announce the appointment of Virginia Brilliant as curator-in-charge of European paintings. Brilliant joins the Fine Arts Museums from The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota, Florida where she has worked since 2008. At The Ringling Museum of Art, Brilliant held the titles of Ulla R. Searing Curator of Collections (2013-2017), Curator of European Art (2010-2013), Associate Curator of European Art (2009-2010), and Assistant Curator of European Art (2008-2009).

“I am thrilled that Virginia has agreed to join our team here at the Fine Arts Museums,” states Max Hollein, director and CEO of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. “Virginia brings extensive experience that will allow her to expertly steer the European paintings department through an ambitious upcoming programming schedule. Additionally, she brings a level of scholarship that will elevate not only our own collection, but also the greater field at large.”

Throughout Brilliant’s tenure at The Ringling Museum of Art, she authored multiple publications and expanded the permanent collection through numerous acquisitions. Notable exhibitions include: A Feast for the Senses: Art and Experience in Medieval Europe (2017); Paolo Veronese: A Master and His Workshop in Renaissance Venice (2012-2013); Peter Paul Rubens: Impressions of a Master (2012); Gothic Art in the Gilded Age: Medieval and Renaissance Treasures in the Gavet-Vanderbilt-Ringling Collection (2010); and The Triumph of Marriage: Painted Cassoni of the Renaissance (2009). Prior to joining The Ringling Museum of Art, Brilliant served as a post-doctoral fellow in the department of medieval art at the Cleveland Museum of Art and as a graduate curatorial intern in the paintings department at the J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles.

“I’m absolutely thrilled to be joining the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco,” adds Brilliant. “Not only does the collection of old master paintings rank among the finest on the West Coast, but this is an especially exciting time for the Museums. Max’s vision is ambitious and compelling, and I look forward to working with him and the rest of the team to create a rich and challenging program of scholarly special exhibitions, while also drawing new attention to the permanent collections.”

Brilliant holds a Ph.D. and MA from The Courtauld Institute of Art at the University of London. She received her BA from University College London, University of London.

“Virginia has made a lasting impact at The Ringling,” says Steven High, executive director of The Ringling. “In her nine years as curator she not only developed several major exhibitions, but also acted as a wonderful steward of the permanent collection. In November, we will release the first comprehensive scholarly catalogue of our Italian, Spanish, and French paintings authored by Virginia. I am sorry to see her leave, but look forward to following her career in San Francisco.”

Brilliant will begin her tenure at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco on May 1, 2017.

About the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, comprising the de Young in Golden Gate Park and the Legion of Honor in Lincoln Park, are the largest public arts institution in San Francisco.

The Legion of Honor was inspired by the French pavilion at San Francisco’s Panama-Pacific International Exposition of 1915 and, like that structure, was modeled after the neoclassical Palais de la Légion d’Honneur, in Paris. The museum, designed by George Applegarth, opened in 1924 on a bluff in Lincoln Park overlooking the Golden Gate. Its holdings span 4,000 years and include European painting, sculpture, and decorative arts; ancient art from the Mediterranean basin; and the largest collection of works on paper in the American West.

The de Young originated from the 1894 California Midwinter International Exposition in Golden Gate Park and was established as the Memorial Museum in 1895. It was later renamed in honor of Michael H. de Young, who spearheaded its creation. The present copper-clad landmark building, designed by Herzog & de Meuron, opened in October 2005. It holds the institution’s significant collections of American painting, sculpture, and decorative arts from the 17th to the 21st centuries; art from Africa, Oceania, and the Americas; costume and textile arts; and international modern and contemporary art.

Media Contact
Miriam Newcomer \ mnewcomer@famsf.org \ 415.750.3554