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

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

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

Items marked 'M' are drawings "by my own Hand" (by Ruskin), P are photographs, E engravings and A by Ruskin's Assistant, Arthur Burgess.

Rudimentary 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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Iris Day & Haghe

Location

    • Western Art Print Room

Position in Ruskin’s Collection

Ruskin's Catalogues

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

    R|229} Irids. Mrs. Loudon’s Bulbous Plants.
  • Ruskin's Rudimentary series 4th ed. (1872)

    R|229} Irids. Mrs. Loudon’s Bulbous Plants.
    R. 229. Group of Irids. (Mrs. Loudon.)

    I give you this especially for the pale Iris Persica, No.5, which was first brought into England by Charles the First’s Henrietta , and it has many characters belonging especially to the heraldic Fleur-de-lys. But the Iris Florentina, which I have drawn as well as I can, in Edu. 8, is the true Fleur-de-lys.

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

    R|229} Irids. Mrs. Loudon’s Bulbous Plants.
    R. 229. Group of Irids. (Mrs. Loudon.)

    I give you this especially for the pale Iris Persica, No.5, which was first brought into England by Charles the First’s Henrietta , and it has many characters belonging especially to the heraldic Fleur-de-lys. But the Iris Florentina, which I have drawn as well as I can, in Edu. 8, is the true Fleur-de-lys.

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