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

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

Ruskin's Standard & Reference series (1872)

Exemplary works of art. In the catalogue of the Reference series, items marked 'M' are drawings "by my own Hand" (by Ruskin), P are photographs, E engravings and A by Ruskin's Assistant, Arthur Burgess.

Standard & Reference 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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La Belle Jardinière Auguste Gaspard Louis Desnoyers

  • Ruskin text

    103 La Belle Jardinière. (Raphael) E
  • Details

    Artist/maker
    Auguste Gaspard Louis Desnoyers (1779 - 1857) (engraver)
    Object type
    print
    Material and technique
    engraving on Chine collé
    Dimensions
    588 x 418 mm (plate); 611 x 459 mm (support sheet)
    Inscription
    Recto, within the plate, engraved:
    below the image, left: Raphaël d' Urbin Pinxit.
    below the image, right: Le Bon:: Boucher Desnoyers Dt. et Sc.
    bottom: LA BELLE JARDINIÈRE DE FLORENCE. | Raphaël commença ce Portrait à Florence en 1504, il en fit hommage à Mgnor:: Tadeo Tadeï dans l'année 1507. | Cette jeune Villageoise servait de Modèle à Raphaël pour peindre ses sublimes têtes de Vierge.

    Verso:
    bottom, towards left, in graphite: a/-/-
    bottom, towards right, in graphite: India Proof | Scarce 8 . 8 . 0
    just below, in graphite: Ref 103
    top, towards right, the Ruskin School's stamp
    Provenance

    Presented by John Ruskin to the Ruskin Drawing School (University of Oxford), 1875; transferred from the Ruskin Drawing School to the Ashmolean Museum, c.1949.

    No. of items
    1
    Accession no.
    WA.RS.REF.103
  • Subject terms allocated by curators:

    Subjects

  • References in which this object is cited include:

    References

    Laran, Jean, et al., Bibliothèque Nationale, Département des estampes: Inventaire du fonds français après 1800 (Paris: Bibliothèque Nationale, 1939-)

    Ruskin, John, Catalogue of the Reference Series Including Temporarily the First Section of the Standard Series (London: Smith, Elder, [1872]), cat. Reference no. 103

    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. Reference no. 103

Location

    • Western Art Print Room

Position in Ruskin’s Collection

Ruskin's Catalogues

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