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

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

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Study of Cork Oak J. Travis, Mrs

  • Details

    Artist/maker
    Object type
    drawing
    Material and technique
    watercolour and pen and ink over graphite on wove paper
    Dimensions
    262 x 182 mm
    Inscription
    Recto:
    top left, in brown ink, crossed out in graphite: 91
    just to the right, within a circle, in graphite: 89
    just above, in black ink: R 269
    just below top right, in graphite, faded and crossed out in graphite: Suber
    the details of the plant at the bottom are numbered in ink, '1' to '5'
    below the right-hand detail, in ink, erased: Mrs J. Travis

    Verso:
    top right, in graphite: R269 | Travis
    below 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.269
  • Subject terms allocated by curators:

    Subjects

  • 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. 251-275

    Ruskin, John, Instructions in the Preliminary Exercises Arranged for the Lower Drawing-School (London: Smith, Elder, 1872), cat. Rudimentary no. 251-275

    Ruskin, John, Instructions in the Preliminary Exercise Arranged For the Lower Drawing-School (London: Spottiswoode, 1873), cat. Rudimentary no. 251-275

    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. 251-275

Location

    • Western Art Print Room

Position in Ruskin’s Collection

Ruskin's Catalogues

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

    These are chiefly for temporary service, though some will be permanently placed, but otherwise arranged. Their purpose is to enforce the practice of making the shade subordinate to the colour, and the greater number of them are Venetian, 15th century, most admirably copied by M. Caldara, and entirely authoritative as to the Venetian practice in this respect.

    In R|251 my sketch of wood anemone gives the simplest beginning of leaf colour, green and white; and the drawing beneath of a leaf of Berberis Mahonia, by a pupil of my assistant, Mr. Ward, is consummate in finished texture, and, for work to be seen near, is as good as can be. The last seven drawings, in the old English manner, by Mr. Hart, are exemplary in tranquil care and respect for local colour; see the ripe and unripe mulberries, R|275, but as compared with the Venetian work, show the constant English fault of mechanical precision instead of design.

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

    These are chiefly for temporary service, though some will be permanently placed, but otherwise arranged. Their purpose is to enforce the practice of making the shade subordinate to the colour, and the greater number of them are Venetian, 15th century, most admirably copied by M. Caldara, and entirely authoritative as to the Venetian practice in this respect.

    In R|251 my sketch of wood anemone gives the simplest beginning of leaf colour, green and white; and the drawing beneath of a leaf of Berberis Mahonia, by a pupil of my assistant, Mr. Ward, is consummate in finished texture, and, for work to be seen near, is as good as can be. The last seven drawings, in the old English manner, by Mr. Hart, (presented to me by one of my pupils, for this collection) are exemplary in tranquil care and respect for local colour; see the ripe and unripe mulberries, R|275, but as compared with the Venetian work, show the constant English fault of mechanical precision instead of design.

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