The Eagle's Nest: Ten Lectures on the Relation of Natural Science to Art, Given Before the University of Oxford, in Lent Term, 1872Ruskin, John
Philosophy
The Eagle's Nest: Ten Lectures on the Relation of Natural Science to Art, Given Before the University of Oxford, in Lent Term, 1872
Ruskin, John
Art and science
112. Then, besides this faculty of clear vision, you have to consider
the faculty of metric vision. Neither an eagle, nor a kingfisher, nor
any other darting bird, can see things with both their eyes at the same
time as completely as you and I can; but think of their faculty of
measurement as compared with ours! You will find that it takes you
months of labour before you can acquire accurate power, even of
_deliberate_ estimate of distances with the eye; it is one of the points
to which, most of all, I have to direct your work. And the curious thing
is that, given the degree of practice, you will measure ill or well with
the eye in proportion to the quantity of life in you. No one can measure
with a glance, when they are tired. Only the other day I got half an
inch out of a foot, in drawing merely a coat of arms, because I was
tired. But fancy what would happen to a swallow, if _it_ was half an
inch out in a foot, in flying round a corner!
113. Well, that is the first branch of the questions which we want
answered by optical science;--the actual distortion, contraction, and
other modification, of the sight of different animals, as far as it can
be known from the forms of their eyes. Then, secondly, we ourselves need
to be taught the connection of the sense of colour with health; the
difference in the physical conditions which lead us to seek for gloom,
or brightness of hue; and the nature of purity in colour, first in the
object seen, and then in the eye which prefers it.
* * * * *
(The portion of lecture here omitted referred to illustrations of
vulgarity and delicacy in colour, showing that the vulgar colours, even
when they seemed most glaring, were in reality impure and dull; and
destroyed each other by contention; while noble colour, intensely bright
and pure, was nevertheless entirely governed and calm, so that every
colour bettered and aided all the rest.)
114. You recollect how I urged you in my opening course of lectures
rather to work in the school of crystalline colour than in that of
shade.
Since I gave that first course of lectures, my sense of the necessity of
this study of brightness primarily, and of purity and gaiety beyond all
other qualities, has deeply been confirmed by the influence which the
unclean horror and impious melancholy of the modern French school--most
literally the school of death--has gained over the popular mind. I will
not dwell upon the evil phrenzy to-day. But it is in order, at once to
do the best I can, in counteraction of its deadly influence, though not
without other and constant reasons, that I give you heraldry, with all
its splendour and its pride, its brightness of colour, and
honourableness of meaning, for your main elementary practice.
115. To-day I have only time left to press on your thoughts the deeper
law of this due joy in colour and light.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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