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Unpublished manuscript catalogue for proposed re-organisation of the Rudimentary series.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

Ruskin's Catalogues: 1 object

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Ruskin assembled a diverse collection of artworks for his drawing school in Oxford, including watercolours by J.M.W. Turner and drawings by Ruskin himself.  He taught students to draw as a way of educating them in how to look at art and the world around them.  

Ruskin divided his Teaching Collection into four main series: Standard, Reference, Educational and Rudimentary. Each item was placed in a numbered frame, arranged in a set of cabinets, so that they all had a specific position in the Collection (although Ruskin often moved items about as his ideas changed). 

When incorporated into the Ashmolean’s collection in the last century, the works were removed from the frames and the sequence was lost.  Here, Ruskin's original catalogues, notes and instructions - in his chosen order and in his own words - are united with images of the works and links to modern curatorial descriptions.

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The Shield of Geoffrey Plantagenet, with the Shield of Chaucer, and of Sir Francis Drake John Ruskin

Location

    • Western Art Print Room

Position in Ruskin’s Collection

Ruskin's Catalogues

  • Ruskin's Rudimentary series, 3rd ed. (1872)

    R|8} The shield of Geoffrey Plantagenet, with the shield of Chaucer, and of Sir Francis Drake. M. (from Gwillim.)
  • Ruskin's Rudimentary series 4th ed. (1872)

    R|8} The shield of Geoffrey Plantagenet, with the shield of Chaucer, and of Sir Francis Drake. M. (from Gwillim.)

    Finally. Look at the patches of colour with which the boat is drawn in Turner’s scene on the Loire (Ref. 3), and you will see every colour is laid with one flat touch, and so done with. Try these two shields, then, with your master’s help, and then Chaucer’s, and the two others in R. 7. Sketch all the three in pencil, measuring breadth, height, and distance of shields, but drawing them by hand and eye only. I have done them quite carelessly and weakly on purpose. You can easily do nearly, or quite, as well. Then wash in the tints at once, noting only.

    Sir Francis Drake’s is diamond (sable), with stars argent. I almost always put a slight wash of grey on argent bearings, to distinguish them from white ground; then you must outline very finely pointed forms, like these stars, first with the dark colour, and spread it in the spaces round, afterwards. That is the way all Greek vases are done; you may see my first brush line about the stars, done with blacker paint on purpose. Secondly, I shall always wash Gules with rose madder, because I don’t like the glare of vermilion, unless one has real gold, and full colour to match it with. Only remember, heraldic Gules is full scarlet, not pink, and rose madder is very difficult to wash with, but I have left the stains just as they came.

  • Ruskin's Rudimentary series, 5th ed. (1873)

    R|8} The shield of Geoffrey Plantagenet, with the shield of Chaucer, and of Sir Francis Drake. M. (from Gwillim.)

    Finally. Look at the patches of colour with which the boat is drawn in Turner’s scene on the Loire (Ref. 3), and you will see every colour is laid with one flat touch, and so done with.

    Try these two shields, then, with your master’s help; and then Chaucer’s shield, and the two others, in R. 7. Sketch all the three in pencil, measuring breadth, height, and distance of shields, but drawing them by hand and eye only. I have done them quite carelessly and weakly on purpose. You can easily do nearly, or quite, as well. Then wash in the tints at once, noting only.

    Sir Francis Drake’s is diamond, (sable), with stars argent. I almost always put a slight wash of grey on argent bearings, to distinguish them from the white ground of the paper; then you must outline very finely pointed forms, like these stars, first with the dark colour, and spread it in the spaces round, afterwards. That is the way all Greek vases are done; you may see my first brush line about the stars, done with blacker paint on purpose. Secondly, I shall always wash Gules with rose madder, because I don’t like the glare of vermilion, unless one has real gold, and full colour to match it with. Only remember, heraldic Gules is full scarlet, not pink, and rose madder is very difficult to wash with, but I have left the stains just as they came.

  • Ruskin's revision to the Rudimentary series (1878)

    3.

    The bearings of Chaucer, Sir Francis Drake and Geoffrey Plantagenet. First exercise in colour.

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