RUSKIN, &nix, the most eloquent and original of all writers upon art, was b. in London in 1819. He studied at Christ Church, Oxford, where he gained the Newdi gate prize for English poetry in 1839, and took his degree in 1842. The year following appeared the first volume of his Modern Painters, the primary design of which was to prove the infinite superiority of modern landscape-painters, especially Turner, to the old masters; but in the later volumes (the 5th and last was published in 1860), the work expanded into a vast discursive treatise on the principles of art, interspersed with artistic and symbolical descriptions of nature, more elaborate and imaginative than any writer, prose or poetic, had ever before attempted. Modern Painters was essentially revolution ary in its spirit and aim, and naturally excited the aversion and hostility of the conser vatives in art. But the unequaled splendor of its style gave it a place in literature; crowds of admirers and disciples sprang up; the views of art enunciated by Ruskin gradually made way; and have largely determined the course and character of later _English art. In 1849 appeared Lamps of Architecture; and in 1851-53, The Stones of Venice, both being efforts to introduce a new' and loftier conception of the significance of domestic architecture. They were exquisitely illustrated by the author himself. About this time pre-raphaelitism began to develop itself as a distinctive phase of modern art, and Ruskin warmly espoused its cause. His letters to the Times, his
pamphlet on the subject (1851), and his "Notes" on the royal academy exhibitions (1855-60), besides numerous casual expressions of opinion, bear testimony to the ardor and sincerity of his admiration. In 1854 he published four singularly pithy and ingeni ous Lectures on Architecture and Painting (previously delivered at the Edinburgh philo sophical institution); and in 1858, two Lectures on the Political Economy of Art (previously delivered at Manchester). Works of perhaps lesser consequence are his .NOtes on Tur ner's pictures and drawings exhibite:1 in Marlborough house (1857); Elements of Draw ing, in Three Letters for Beginners (1857); Elements of Perspective (1859); Unto this Last (1862); Study of Architecture in our Schools (1865); Crowell of Wild Olive: Three Lectures (1866); The Queen of the Air, being a Study of the Greek Myths of Cloud and Storm (1S69); Lectures on Art (1870); Munera Pulreris: Essays on Political Economy (1872); Aratra Pentilici: Lectures on the Elements of Sculpture (1872), etc. A few years ago this prolific author started a periodical pamphlet, entitled Fors Clavigera, for the exposition of the multifarious application of his art-principles. From 1869 till 1879 he was Slade pro fessor of fine arts at Oxford. In 1871 he gave £5,000 to endow a master of drawing in the Taylor galleries, Oxford. In the same year the university of Cambridge conferred on Ruskin the degree of LL.D.