The Life of John RuskinCollingwood, W. G. (William Gershom)
Philosophy
The Life of John Ruskin
Collingwood, W. G. (William Gershom)
Authors, English -- 19th century -- Biography; Ruskin, John, 1819-1900
It was with this intention that he wrote the "Elements of Drawing" in
1856, supplemented by the "Elements of Perspective" in 1859; the
illustrations for the book were characteristic sketches by the author,
beautifully cut by his pupil, W.H. Hooper, who was one of a band of
engravers and copyists formed by these classes at the Working Men's
College. In spite of the intention not to make artists by his teaching,
Ruskin could not prevent some of his pupils from taking up art as a
profession; and those who did so became, in their way, first-rate men.
George Allen as a mezzotint engraver, Arthur Burgess as a draughtsman
and wood-cutter, John Bunney as a painter of architectural detail, W.
Jeffery as an artistic photographer, E. Cooke as a teacher, William Ward
as a facsimile copyist, have all done work whose value deserves
acknowledgment, all the more because it was not aimed at popular effect,
but at the severe standard of the greater schools. But these men were
only the side issue of the Working Men's College enterprise. Its real
result was in the proof that the labouring classes could be interested
in Art; and that the capacity shown by the Gothic workman had not
entirely died out of the nation, in spite of the interregnum, for a full
century, of manufacture. And the experience led Ruskin forward to wider
views on the nature of the arts, and on the duties of philanthropic
effort and social economy.
CHAPTER VIII
"MODERN PAINTERS" CONTINUED (1855-1856)
It was in the year 1855 that Ruskin first published "Notes on the Royal
Academy and other Exhibitions." He had been so often called upon to
write his opinion of Pre-Raphaelite pictures, either privately or to
the newspapers, or to mark his friends' catalogues, that he found at
last less trouble in printing his notes once for all. The new plan was
immediately popular; three editions of the pamphlet were called for
between June 1 and July 1. Next year he repeated the "Notes" and six
editions were sold.
In spite of a dissentient voice here and there, he was really by that
time recognised as the leading authority upon taste in painting. He was
trusted by a great section of the public, who had not failed to notice
how completely he and his friends were winning the day. The proof of it
was in the fact that they were being imitated on all sides; Ruskinism in
writing and Pre-Raphaelitism in painting were becoming fashionable.
But at the same time the movement gave rise to the Naturalist-landscape
school, a group of painters who threw overboard the traditions of Turner
and Prout, Constable and Harding, and the rest, just as the
Pre-Raphaelite Brethren threw over the Academical masters. For such men
their study was their picture; they devised tents and huts in wild glens
and upon waste moors, and spent weeks in elaborating their details
directly from nature, instead of painting at home from sketches on the
spot.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account