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Unpublished manuscript catalogue for proposed re-organisation of the Rudimentary series.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

Show search help

Search Help

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

© University of Oxford - Ashmolean Museum

Reference URL
?

Actions

Send e-mail

Contact us about this object

Send e-mail

Send to a friend

Photograph of Velázquez's "Portrait of Isabel of Bourbon on Horseback" anonymous Spanish

Location

    • Western Art Print Room

Position in Ruskin’s Collection

Ruskin's Catalogues

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

    R|120–R|122} Portraits of Queens, by Velasquez. Consummate in every quality of realistic art, but purposeless, and indicative of national decline. P.

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

    R|120 – R|122} Portraits of Queens, by Velasquez. Consummate in every quality of realistic art, but purposeless, and indicative of national decline. P.

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

    R|120 – R|122} Portraits of Queens, by Velasquez. Consummate in every quality of realistic art, but purposeless, and indicative of national decline. P.

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

    110.

    In passing from Angelico to Velasquez we have the complete range of Renaissance art. It will however be seen, by referring to No. 107. that VeR. lasquez is in reality only Carpaccio less crowded, and with a little of the disorder of modernism, or naturalism if we like to call it so, disguising the really monumental and elaborate construction of the picture. The patterns of the Queen’s dress are throughout as formal and as rich as those of the equestrian statue of Colleone & the nonsense which has been talked by modern artists about elaboration of detail may be heard in future with contemptuous silence by the student who has once drawn the beautiful cinque cento pattern of her horsehousings, which, therefore, after doing the pen-exercise on No. 104. the student of decorative art must proceed to do; and at all events one cluster of it is to be drawn in sepia by every student, that they may understand, first, the way in which a great artist does his detail, and; secondly, the mode in which the lustre of flowers seen against shade may be preserved without losing their sgradation. A bit of the fringe of these housings and of the beaded hem of the queen’s mantle should also be drawn and compared with Carpaccio’s similar work.

Arts and Humanities Research Council

University of Oxford

The Ruskin School of Drawing and Fine Art

Ashmolean

© 2013 University of Oxford - Ashmolean Museum