The Express.
London, England, 1857-07-16 00:00:00

vbt

MONT BLANC IS OPEN TO-NIGHT.

LITBBATUBB.

OSCOW. BURFORD'S PANORAMA.
low A
OPON. • ms PANORAMA fa MO PCoillowl OW.Ar
•ini
rer or harm it thr pro_ ,dos roa or
wee le AN gig MOT d
arta Ye no my& Uses L
✓es. 14- Leasomopra

PRE NONDESCRIPT, Mir JULIA
A PA11T04.114.-114 mum Mr. 04 wear 64 the 4601.
welly 0040 401•1141101001110 66 14•0101. 4600610
rut 1644=.1.64.141=..Lb. 460:106.,
wit Tea arr. pm cieseasen:3 gimp: =
lataip=tl=B7 ..Ik4ol.""drextr
subsems. am. 44.
6010046 Is 14460
0 giie 6411 gra ;DLL 04 114406
14 444 ft. OA F. 104 dulls le
04011 M. 4•104 m Idt 4•41140 sod 411101141
Mr pre* 1.111.1410

PROPOSED HOSPITAL for WORN-OUT
224 D 19211140 MASTS& X AR1N12.112 mil mum It,
Ur )1211CANTILII 11.21122.
• mime mserriNo •..bi a saivotripeditik ygn
... bar (1).V.) at the Hawke 22.2
im1999...1 Um the LOID iell %Z 91112 aa
_Ad......99§15: sunler Irk 4.3...
••••••, •
wikialle ham lie
22.2292112212299149112=1"4:21119 siegles a .
is. tweezzeive=
2192 ilali le= GI
es
WI:Ps 41.
I.
al ,Iliaitir
Nadowe is
El • at .4
limn . IMAM all . LB.. 1299‘9992 12929129/.
lily 9. WT.

LONDON, THURSDAY EVENING, JULY 16, 1857.

The Elements of Drawing, in Three Letters to
Beginners. By JOHN Ruston, M.A., with Illus-
trations drawn by the Author. Smith, Elder,
and Co.
The public estimation of Mr. Ruskin as a teacher
and prophet in art—certainly when we look at his
comparatively recent appearance as an author—has
changed with a frequency unusual in the case of
welters of such undoubted and original genius. The
first volumes of " Modern Landscape Painters" at
once placed the "Oxford Graduate"—even in the es-
timation of many who denied his premises, derided
his standard of excellence, and indignantly repo.'
dieted his denunciations--very high among the arta
critics of recent times. The sweeping censures of nun
' looked up to for centuries with reverence, the
' withering criticisms on Gaspar, &hater, Claude—
' the setting up (how humiliating the idea)
in place of innumerable deities of one sines
deity, still living among men the promul-
gation of strange canons, all were insufficient,
except in the most prejudiced minds, to weigh
against the earns* devout, life-long study, the
ii.s.ig.. th•=nemilWaViiLhe, thorough
adt sTi tniViraNefliseltb;
.1 uxhlbited in Mr. Ruskin's earliest
work.
But while artists—veterans as well as noviees—
collecting after a while their scattered senses—bent
reluctantly, but sincerely, to the inquiry whether
these things could really be—while earnest amateurs
noted formsof cloud, depths of shadows, rules of re-
flections, and the sway of boughs—the a of
the " Seven Lamps of Architecture," ollowed by
that of the "Stones of Venice," showed that Mr.
Raskin had by no means confined his studies, nor
was disposed to restrict his reforms, to landscape art
only. In enthusiastic love of subject, in vigour and
independence of thought, in ease and purity of lan-
guage, and in passages of astonishing eloquence, the
two last-named works certainly equalled, even it
they did not sursurpass" Modern Painters," yet, that
they did not increase, nay, that they greatly
weakened, the faith of many of the authors con-
verts in his infallibility as • guide, cannot well
bet doubted. The pamphlet on the recent schism
in art and on the pre-Raphaelite brotherhood—even
admitting, as admit we must, that the author has in
some points modified, in others altogether changed,
his earlier opinions—cannot but be regarded as an
eloquent defence and an able exposition of the some-
what hastily condemned views of the nonconformist
painters. But whether this be granted or not, to
this pamphlet must certainly be traced the present
widely-extending interest in the new school of art.
On the other hand, the annual brochure whicleMr.
Ruskin puts forth on the opening of the Exhibition
of the Royal Academy must unquestionably be'
ranked as an unpopular one. Lastly, the power,
originality, and fervour of the " Oxford Graduate,"
reappear in the 3rd and 4th volumes of his first
work.
Mr. Ruskin has now gratified a desire which has
for some time been felt by all who take the least '
interest in his writings. In his former works (we
are speaking now of those which treat of painting) 1
he has laboured to show what is wrong in the pre-
sent modes of studying nature and judi;ing of art—
to point out how things should not be done. A very
I natural curiosity has long existed to hear how things
I should be done, to know how Mr. Ruskin proposes
to teach and to train. Ile has replied to the call in,
as we think, no uneatisfactory manner, and in the
little volume before us has laid down some very
sound rules and some very practical instructions—the
latter, it should be observed, being confined for the
present to studies in light and shade, and in the use
of the water-colour brush.
In an admirable Preface Mr. Ruskin touches on a
point of no little interest to the parents of children
displaying precocious talent for art ; and his remarks
are well deserving a perusal :
In the Hen place the book ii not calculated for the sae of
children under the age of twelve rIC fourteen. Ido not think
it advisable to engage a child in any but the moat voluntary
pectic* of art. If it km talent for drawing, it will be con-
Ily scrawling on what paper it can get; and should be
Rowed to scrawl at ice own free will, due praise being given
brit every appareling,e of care, or truth, in its efforts. It
ilwald be allowed to amine itself with cheep colours almost
la soon as it has tense enough to wish for them. If it
lamb daub, the paper with shop:lces Mains, the colour-box
mbas taken away till it knows. better . but as soon as it
painting red coats on twitcher*, rosined lege to ahipe,
Ate, It should have colours at conimand ; and, without re-
straining its choice of subject in that ininginative and his-
torical art, of a military tendency, which children delight in,
(generally quite as valuable,' by the way, as any hieterica)
art delighted in by their elders), it should be gently led by the
parents to try to draw, in such childish fashion as may be,
the things it can see end likes—birds, or butterflies, or
flower*, or fruit. In later years, the indulgence of using the
colour should only be granted as a meant, after 4the shown
care and progress in its drawings with pencil.
Annexed to such advice the following directions
are not out of place :
It it, • general truth that the enjoyment derived from art
cannot be increased in quantity, beyond a certain palate by
quantity of possession ; it in only moved, in it were, wear a
larger inrface, and verry often dulled by finding ideas
in different words. Now, far a beginner, it is alwaylaVirT
that his attention should be concentrated on one or ten god
things, and all hie enjoyment founded on theni, then that be
should look at ninny, with divided thoughts. He hart sash
to discover; and his best way of discovering it in to thlnk
long over few thing., and watch then, earnestly. It isms at
the went errors of this age to try to know and to see Ise
moth: the seen who seem to know everything never la
reality know anything rightly. Beware of hand-bookknow-
ledge.
Following the usual practice of such writers, our
author does not omit to encourage the timid and the
diffident. Here are full and ample instructions:
As eon as you find that your liandobeys you thoroughly,
and that you ran render any furni with a firmness and truth
approaching that of Turner's or Humes work, you met add
a simple but equally careful light and elude to your pen
drawing, so as to make each study a. complete as possible;
fer which you mum prepare yourself then. OM, if you have
the memo, a good impreerion of one plate of Turner's Libor
&winnow If you cannot obtain, or even borrow for •
little while, any of the engraving., you Ilion use a photo-
graph instead (bow, I will tell you prudently) ; but, if yea
can get the Turner, It will be bent. You will see that it is
4...nit:coned of a firm etching in line, with messotint shadow
kid over it. You must first espy the etched put of it awns
rately ; to which cud put the print against the window, sad
Owe newly with the greatest tore every black line; retrace
thin on suioathdrewing-paecr ; and, finally, go over the whole
with your pen, looking at the original plate always, so that if
you err at all, it meet be on the nght aide, nut making • line
which la too curved or too straight already in the tracing,
more curved or noire Mraight, as you gee over it. And in
doing this, never work after you are tired, nor to " get the
thing done," for if it is badly done, it will be of no use to
you. The true seal and patience of a quarter of an hour are
better than the sulky end inattentive labour of a whole day.
If you have not made the touchen right at the first going over
with the pan, retouch them delicately, with little ink in your
pen, thickening or reinforcing them as they need, you can-
not give too much care to the facsimile. Then keep this
etched outline by you, In order to study at your ease the way
in which Turner uses hie line as preparatory to the subse-
quent shadow; it is only in getting the two separate that you
will be able to reason on this. Next, copy once more,
though for the fourth thee, any part of this etching which
you like, and put on the light and slide with the brush, and
thy brown colour that pinches that of the plate; working
it with the point of the brush as delieately as If you were
drawing it with pencil, and dotting and creeoleat_o_hizut
Nightly se you ma touch the paper, nil you get the
of Turner s engraving. In ibis exercise,as Is & for. 7"
e er
one, a quarter of an Inch winked to close renoublanee of the
copy is worth more than the whole subject carelessly done.
Not that in drawing allanewmin from nature you asp to be
obli4ito finish every rediWon in this way, but then, awe
ha tally ama~ an drawing eonathisa
yea tbswitahruwal hi mil she et • *bat
ibis peewit titherwiss lave maeSval, red the =7;...i1l
=yea, awl being eat and clearly the
vesalls, with • sulade which it would lava
anima It you bad ad pat ft I. laiwaiwit work.
ll is anatalainas In alit flea Ste waylaid chance and
sena * ou, mimeses base themegbly
sentemail than Make] ourssitqa• at abeam,
out year resat is spite of it, sad from that day byword all
Mips will esaalsew tall as you weeld base thsai. Show
the eanterbals, sod the akar in it, that se Wig sot
hilattlag we atinque la adaq. smAse will ; that the leash
and ths sheds shall Sealy be if it costa yea • pats
tell; and haithst bow et esavislisa, said mast *-
hair will bind ileitis Siiyw whikss_end as lid®w Les
to tramper LNAN. If yea comet ablate •
print tram the Lbw Stniliornin,_ipt • thatahneh al mai
panel binhopesalitscl, with MO hills sal a Repo as

amen, be the middle &Mg" ma tier mho
er. as
atellmjseeled Amami (a stream ebb damn In if goo-
ami espy sagged of B ye. fits In this erne brews
maidng as I see but reused yea to do, from the
Übe% s poi id with dm rikidothithdyto brush. You are
lobos •••111111 krinvar ; first, there ars
prim way We am be yen st
rag le Is II slip le ow; tossolly, Haw
Cdr&impure Amove• cc irk Om Ow w lag be in
al mew end Imbed to • Epley which you will not
be able, •• lei. i•dilior. Both Oar eharectere will be
aillwaslopeini• yen for future study, *AN you have gained
eqedmahheo Soy are • little against you in early at-
st ; you must fight through the difficulty,
=CO the row air prideig delicate gradations with
brewerpq,aslrmaatOs photowsph.
Walk tow toocutotood to our reader. a careful
wood of Mr. Ruskin's " Elements of Drawing,"
amanot refrain from pointing out that in a slight
Ismisocy to paradox. and in occasional inconsis-
it does not differ from those which have pre-
ostkdit. Can Mr. Ruskin be serious in the follow-
ing advice, given in the Letter on " Sketching from
Nature ?"
Do not draw things that you love, on account of their
associations; or at leant do not draw them because you love
them , but tartly when you cannot get anything else to
draw, If you try to draw places that you love, you are sure
to be always entangled amongst seat brick walls, iron rail-
ravel walks, greenhouses, and •,quickeet hedges ; be-
sidesthat you will be conUanally led into some endeavour to
make your drawing pretty, or complete, which will be fatal
to your progress. You need wee hops to get on If you are
Ands* makes *at the &mime you are actually at work
upon should look eke when ft is die. Mt yea ban to I*W
about is to make It right, and to leers as much In doing it as
powible. Bo then, though when you an sitting in your
friend's parlour, or in your own, and have nothing else to do,
you may draw anything that is there, for practice; even the
fire-irons or the pattern on the carpet Ito sure that it Is for
practice, end net because It is a beloved carpet, nor a friendly
Om and tongs, nor because you wish to please your friend
by drawing her room.
And does the note at p. 208, where he speaks of the
colours which may at once be safely entrusted to
the student, quite accord with the financial proposal
which he makes at p. 224?
To those who look into the book simply for
amusement, without the slightest knowledge of art
or desire for instruction (and Mr. Ruskin has many
much readers), the Appendix, devoted to "Things to
be studied," will be perhaps the most interesting
portion of the volume. Mere is to be found Rua-
kiniam in its entirety—most eloquent, moot clever,
often most wrong-headed, and always most dog-
matic. The exposition of art doctrine is admirable,
almost Carlyleian, in the quaintness and terseness of
its style, and the sharp antitheses with which it
abounds; but when Mr. Ruskin touches on litera-
ture, proclaims Mrs. Browning's "Aurora Leigh"
the greatest poem which the century has produced
in any language, begs us, amongst others, to "keep
to Coventry I'atmore," tells us to " cast Coleridge at
once aside as sickly and useless, and Shelley as shal-
low and verbose," and, treating of works of fiction,
recommends us to make " Sir Charles Orandison"
our constant companion, we feel inclined to remind
this " OxfordOrselnate" of a certain cobbler who pub-
lished his "Notes" upon a certain picture, and to
advise 'Mears. Smith and Elder to whisper " Kr
sailor," tt:c. gently into the great art-critic's ear.