The Elements of Drawing, John Ruskin’s teaching collection at Oxford

The Elements of Drawing, John Ruskin’s teaching collection at Oxford

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God commanding Noah to build the Ark Raphael

Location

    • Western Art Print Room

Position in Ruskin’s Collection

Ruskin's Catalogues

  • Ruskin's Catalogue of Examples (1870)

    15. God commanding Noah to build the Ark. (Marc Antonio, after Raffaelle.)

    It is placed among the Standards, because, though not absolutely good work, it represents a great school in Italy, which is distinguished by the dignity of its aim and the simplicity of its treatment. This school allows few sources of pleasure in painting except those which are common to sculpture; and depends for expression chiefly on the action of the figures, the division of the lights and darks broadly from each other, and the careful disposition of the masses of drapery, hair, or leaves, without any effort to complete the representation of these so as to give pleasure by imitation, or by minor beauties. Very often, however, such details, kept within these conditions of abstraction, are introduced in great quantity and division, (as the graining of the wood in this engraving), in order to relieve the broad masses of the figures.

    The style is essentially academical, and, as opposed to Dutch imitation, noble; but, as opposed to Venetian truth, affected and lifeless. It has done great harm to subsequent schools by encouraging foolish persons in the idea that to be dull was to be sublime; and inducing great, but simple painters, like Reynolds, to give way to every careless fancy, under the discomforting belief that they could never be great without ceasing to be delightful.

  • Ruskin's Standard & Reference series (1872)

    15. God commanding Noah to build the Ark. (Marc Antonio, after Raffaelle.)

    It is placed among the Standards, because, though not absolutely good work, it represents a great school in Italy, which is distinguished by the dignity of its aim, and the simplicity of its treatment. This school allows few sources of pleasure in painting except those which are common to sculpture; and depends for expression chiefly on the action of the figures, the division of the lights and darks broadly from each other, and the careful disposition of the masses of drapery, hair, or leaves, without any effort to complete the representation of these so as to give pleasure by imitation, or by minor beauties. Very often, however, such details, kept within these conditions of abstraction, are introduced in great quantity and division, (as the graining of the wood in this engraving), in order to relieve the broad masses of the figures.

    The style is essentially academical, and, as opposed to Dutch imitation, noble; but, as opposed to Venetian truth, affected and lifeless. It has done great harm to subsequent schools by encouraging foolish persons in the idea that to be dull was to be sublime; and inducing great, but simple painters, like Reynolds, to give way to every careless fancy, under the discomforting belief that they could never be great without ceasing to be delightful.

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