Worlds of John Ruskin

Kevin Jackson is a Visiting Professor at University College London; he has produced scores of television and radio programmes for the BBC, been the Assistant Arts Editor of The Independent, and has written over 30 books, including A Ruskin Alphabet and two comic books based on Ruskin's essays. Pallas Athene also published his collected essays Carnal and his last book Coles to Jerusalem: A Pilgrimage to the Holy Land with Rev. Richard Coles.

• INTRODUCTION 9AN AGE OF SUPERLATIVES 12The darker side 151819-30: EDEN IN SOUTH LONDON 19Infant years 19 — Move to Herne Hill 21 — Precocious writings 231830-40: STUDIES AND FIRST LOVE 27The national background 27 — Ruskin at home and travelling 27 —Oxford 31 — Work 33— Illness 35RUSKIN AND ART ONE: TURNER AND NATURE 361840-50: THE AUTHOR OF MODERN PAINTERS 39First travels alone 43 — Marriage 48 — Mr & Mrs Ruskin in Venice 53RUSKIN AND ARCHITECTURE 581850-60: ARCHITECTURE AND ADULTERY 63The Stones of Venice 63 — The Scottish Summer 67 — The Nature of Gothic 70 —Enter Morris 71 — Ruskin’s Un-Conversion 77RUSKIN AND SOCIETY 801860-70: THE PROPHET AND HIS SORROWS 83Rose La Touche: One 83 — Unto This Last 84 — Rose Again 91RUSKIN AND ART TWO: CRITICISM AS AUTOBIOGRAPHY 981870-80: THE PROFESSOR 101Fors Clavigera 103 — Brantwood 106 — Enter Wilde 113 —The Death of Rose 114 — Enter Whistler 118RUSKIN AND THE NATURAL WORLD 1201880-90: LONELY EMINENCE 125The Bible of Amiens 125 — The Storm-Cloud of the Nineteenth Century 131 — Praeterita 1331890-1900 AND BEYOND 137Fin de siècle 137 — The long silence 137 — William Morris: final years 140 —Pilgrims and disciples 141 — 1900 142 — Legacy: tributes 143; Leo Tolstoy 143;Mahatma Gandhi 144; Marcel Proust 144 — Labour politics 145 —The Great Decline 145 — John Howard Whitehouse 146 — Revivals 147WHAT NOW? 150Brantwood 150 — Ruskin Museum 150 — Ruskin Library 150 —Ruskin Society 150 — The Guild of St George 151 —Ruskin Today 151 — Websites 151RECOMMENDED READING 152SOURCES 153ILLUSTRATIONS 153INDEX 155

Brilliantly introduces Ruskin to the general reader and offers insights into his continuing relevance. - Heather Birchall, Art Quarterly; Jackson's pacy text is a masterly compression of an extraordinary life, offering at every juncture some apt historical context... among the 165 full-colour images are many outstanding and littleknown masterpieces of the kind that only Ruskin's keen eye could produce. - Stephen Wildman, Art Newspaper A fine tribute, generously illustrated. - Sunday Telegraph; One of the most remarkable men, not only of England and our time but of all countries at all times, he was of those rare men who think with their hearts. - Leo Tolstoy; The author of the most splendid pages in our language. - Henry James; The best watercolourist of the second half of the 19th century. - Kenneth Clark; I was determined to change my life in accordance with the ideals of the book. - Gandhi, on Unto this Last; How much I admire him, listen to him, seek to understand him and to obey him. - Marcel Proust