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

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

Ruskin's revision to the Rudimentary series (1878)

Unpublished manuscript catalogue for proposed re-organisation of the Rudimentary series.

Rudimentary manu Cover

Catalogue / 2nd Cabinet

    • Schmidt, Mathias André - A Woman holding a Banner (cut from a Plate in "The Triumph of Maximilian") 26-38 remain 26.

      Extremely beautiful, and at one time or other, at M.r. Macdonald’s discretion, to be copied by all students.

    • 27-41.

      To be used at Mr. Macdonald’s pleasure.

    • 42.

      The figure in the lower left hand, and that in the higher right hand angle are to be copied by all students, for rapid pencil exercise. The originals, as examples of sculpture in fluent & current line, are quite insuperable.

    • 43,44,

      To be used at M.r. Macdonald’s discretion. Pen exercise.

      • R.
    • 45.

      Pen exercise. The lower figure is very admirable as a type of simple woodcutting; and for any student of power and determination the leaving the lines of light in the dark masses, and the real precision and delicacy in the apparently coarse dark lines of the bill, will be extremely instructive exercise.

    • Burgess, Arthur - Owl, copied from a Photograph of Mantegna's Fresco of "The Martyrdom of Saint James" in the Church of Eremitani, Padua remains 46.

      This wonderful study of M.r. Burgess’ is to show a great draughtsman’s manner of using his brush. Seen at a proper distance it represents Mantegna’s fresco work in a quite marvellous manner. For advanced students it is also an admirable exercise in chalk-drawing.

    • Sketch of the Head of a living Lion remainsremains 47.

      A really good sketch of my own which may serve to show that I could have done something if I had not had books to write. It is to be copied by all advanced students as an exercise in fast pencil drawing.

    • Ruskin, John - Enlarged Tracing of the Outline of a Lion's Head from a Greek Coin remains 48.

      To be used at Mr. Macdonald’s discretion.

    • Ruskin, John - Sketch of the head of a living eagle 49.

      Pen-work with slight flat tint. It is here and R.remains there blundered and inefficient, and especially in the ragged feathers of the beard and brow, but the expression of the animal-character is right, and it will do any student good to copy it.

    • unidentified - Enlarged Photograph of an Eagle's Head on a Greek Coin from Elis remains 50.

      To show the gradation of surface in fine Greek sculpture. Any student who can copy this approximately in either charcoal or sepia is a master of all that is technical in chiaroscuro.

Arts and Humanities Research Council

University of Oxford

The Ruskin School of Drawing and Fine Art

Ashmolean

© 2013 University of Oxford - Ashmolean Museum