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

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

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

Ruskin's first catalogue of 300 works for the instruction of undergraduates and his notes on the use of particular examples.

Educational 1 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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Photograph of the Foot of Nicola Pisano's Siena Pulpit Anonymous Italian

  • Ruskin text

    102 Foot of the same, seen from the opposite side. P
  • Details

    Artist/maker
    Anonymous Italian (Anonymous, Italian) (photographer)
    after Nicola Pisano (active 1258 - 1278) (sculptor)
    Object type
    photograph
    Material and technique
    albumen print
    Dimensions
    191 x 257 mm (photograph); 213 x 281 mm (mount)
    Associated place
    Inscription
    Verso:
    bottom left, in graphite: E 152
    above and just right of centre, the Ruskin School's stamp

    On a separate oblong paper label, all in ink:
    top, towards left: 102
    left, struck through: 51
    centre: The base of the pulpit of Niccola Pisano. Siena. [the second 'of' struck through and replaced above the line with 'by']
    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.ED.152
  • Subject terms allocated by curators:

    Subjects

  • References in which this object is cited include:

    References

    Ruskin, John, Catalogue of the Educational Series (London: Smith, Elder, 1871), cat. Educational no. 102

    Ruskin, John, Catalogue of the Educational Series (London: Spottiswoode, 1874), cat. Educational no. 152

    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. 152

Location

    • Western Art Print Room

Position in Ruskin’s Collection

Ruskin's Catalogues

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