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Unpublished manuscript catalogue for proposed re-organisation of the Rudimentary series.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

Ruskin's Catalogues

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A Woman holding a Banner (cut from a Plate in "The Triumph of Maximilian") Mathias André Schmidt

  • Ruskin text

    Portions of the Woodcuts by Hans Burgmair , representing the Triumph of Maximilian I . These woodcuts, and the smaller ones in the First Cabinet, are entirely perfect examples of execution with the pure black line, and I have given them in this quantity, that the students may always find one or other to work from. Only small pieces of them are to be attempted, generally at the student's choice. He should begin with any of the shields in R|15 to R|21, and advance to the Burgmair s; but one or other of the single figures, R|26 and R|27, is to be completely drawn eventually by every member of my class. They are to be photographed, in order that every student may have his own, to work from at home.

  • Details

    Artist/maker
    Mathias André Schmidt (active c. 1796) (printer)
    Anonymous (German) (Anonymous, German) (block cutter)
    Object type
    print
    Material and technique
    woodcut on paper
    Dimensions
    170 x 86 mm (sheet)
    Inscription
    Verso, top centre, 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.RUD.026
  • Subject terms allocated by curators:

    Subjects

    banner

    woman

  • References in which this object is cited include:

    References

    Ruskin, John, Instructions in Practice of Elementary Drawing, Arranged with Reference to the First Series of Examples in the Drawings Schools of the University of Oxford (n.p., [1872]), cat. Rudimentary no. 26

    Ruskin, John, Instructions in the Preliminary Exercises Arranged for the Lower Drawing-School (London: Smith, Elder, 1872), cat. Rudimentary no. 26

    Ruskin, John, Instructions in the Preliminary Exercise Arranged For the Lower Drawing-School (London: Spottiswoode, 1873), cat. Rudimentary no. 26

    Ruskin, John, ‘Rudimentary Series 1878’, 1878, Oxford, Oxford University Archives, cat. Rudimentary no. 26

    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. Rudimentary no. 26

Location

    • Western Art Print Room

Position in Ruskin’s Collection

Ruskin's Catalogues

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

    Portions of the Woodcuts by Hans Burgmair , representing the Triumph of Maximilian I . These woodcuts, and the smaller ones in the First Cabinet, are entirely perfect examples of execution with the pure black line, and I have given them in this quantity, that the students may always find one or other to work from. Only small pieces of them are to be attempted, generally at the student's choice. He should begin with any of the shields in R|15 to R|21, and advance to the Burgmair s; but one or other of the single figures, R|26 and R|27, is to be completely drawn eventually by every member of my class. They are to be photographed, in order that every student may have his own, to work from at home.

  • Ruskin's Rudimentary series 4th ed. (1872)

    Portions of the Woodcuts by Hans Burgkmair , representing the Triumph of Maximilian I . These woodcuts, and the smaller ones in the First Cabinet, are entirely perfect examples of execution with the pure black line, and I have given them in this quantity, that the students may always find one or other to work from. Only small pieces of them are to be attempted, generally at the student's choice. He should begin with any of the shields in R|15 to R|21, and advance to the Burgkmair s; but one or other of the single figures, R|26 and R|27, is to be completely drawn eventually by every member of my class. They are to be photographed, in order that every student may have his own, to work from at home.

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

    Portions of the Woodcuts by Hans Burgkmair , representing the Triumph of Maximilian I . These woodcuts, and the smaller ones in the First Cabinet, are entirely perfect examples of execution with the pure black line, and I have given them in this quantity, that the students may always find one or other to work from. Only small pieces of them are to be attempted, generally at the student's choice. He should begin with any of the shields in R|15 to R|21, and advance to the Burgkmair s; but one or other of the single figures, R|26 and R|27, is to be completely drawn eventually by every member of my class. They are to be photographed, in order that every student may have his own, to work from at home.

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

    26-38 remain 26.

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

Arts and Humanities Research Council

University of Oxford

The Ruskin School of Drawing and Fine Art

Ashmolean

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