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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Under-surface of a dried Spray of Olive, gathered at Verona John Ruskin

  • Details

    Artist/maker
    John Ruskin (1819 - 1900)
    Object type
    drawing
    Material and technique
    watercolour and bodycolour over graphite on wove paper
    Dimensions
    347 x 264 mm
    Inscription
    Verso, all in graphite:
    below top and left of centre, crossed out in graphite: E 267 ?
    towards bottom, right of centre: Ed 10
    Provenance

    Presumably presented by John Ruskin to the Ruskin Drawing School (University of Oxford)

    No. of items
    1
    Accession no.
    WA.RS.ED.010
  • Subject terms allocated by curators:

    Subjects

  • References in which this object is cited include:

    References

    Taylor, Gerald, ‘John Ruskin: A Catalogue of Drawings by John Ruskin in the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford’, 7 fascicles, 1998, Oxford, Ashmolean Museum, no. 321

    Ruskin, John, ‘The Ruskin Art Collection at Oxford: Catalogues, Notes and Instructions’, Edward T. Cook and Alexander Wedderburn, eds, The Works of John Ruskin: Library Edition, 39 (London: George Allen, 1903-1912), 21, cat. Educational no. 10

Location

    • Western Art Print Room

Position in Ruskin’s Collection

Ruskin's Catalogues

  • Ruskin's Educational series, 1st ed. (1871)

    6 Olive. Under-surface of dried spray, gathered at Verona. M
  • Ruskin's Educational series, 2nd ed. (1874)

    10. Olive. Under-surface of dried spray, gathered at Verona. M
  • Educational, manuscript (1878)

    R 10.

    I am ashamed to give so many Drawings of my own, but I cannot find Studies by any other Draughtsman which unite the absolute fidelity to Natural Form, which I require from the Landscape student, with the Florentine Methods of outline. But also the very imperfections of these Drawings renders them, I think, a little more helpful as examples. If I could put a Study by Leonardo here, instead of this, though I fain would do so, the exquisiteness of his Shadow would make every student of good feeling so disgusted with his own work that he could scarcely proceed with it. It will be much better for him to advance less deE. spondently till he has learned to be disgusted with mine. Observe, also, that the method of this Study is, more or less, elementary. The outline is first made with the lead and then corrected and secured with the pen; so that the student following it may modify his lead-drawing till he is satisfied, and then pronounce the outline he has chosen. By Leonardo only one line would be drawn with his chalk or silver point, and in copying it, once missed it is missed for ever.

  • Ruskin's Catalogue of Examples (1870)

    Study of olive (under surface of leaves). (R.)

    Pencil only, the outline secured by the pen. From a spray gathered at Verona, and now dry; you shall have a better one soon. It is of the real size, and too small for you to draw yet awhile; but it is placed here that Athena’s tree may be next Apollo’s. Take the next exercise instead.

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