Background
The University of Oxford owns the majority of the teaching collections assembled by John Ruskin (1819-1900) in the third quarter of the nineteenth century. The material is in the care of the Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology.
The Elements of Drawing website aims to increase accessibility to and improve the utilisation of the Ruskin collection as an exemplary resource. It provides a major digital research archive of considerable interest to art historians and the general public.
The project was funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC). Each year the AHRC provides funding from the Government to support research and postgraduate study in the arts and humanities, from archaeology to English Literature to design and dance. Only applications of the highest quality and excellence are funded and the range of research supported by this investment of public funds not only provides social and cultural benefits but also contributes to the economic success of the UK.
A joint application for funding was made to the AHRC by the Ashmolean Museum and the Ruskin School of Drawing and Fine Art, both at the University of Oxford. Project management, object data and image processing were the responsibility of the Ashmolean Museum, whilst the Ruskin School of Drawing and Fine Art supervised the development of contributions for Ruskin Now.
