New-York tribune., 1879-12-22

~. rcr, T.. B,ston From childish mapdr'~inrs
-aore carried ON through a series OF architectural
.ph,ects In which the young Raska appears under tue
,nuence OF the fashionable 'FRONT.' These dra"nes
toa are sca rs conceive no motlv- Tor exnio-
my: they 90 indeed show patience and g'od-~ih' ''
arr these auatcs remarkable that man must reei
,noved 10 send the proofs Of their possesslon
nv him three thousand miles seasf Leav
,rg these crude uninteresting but psinsta kinF
ssndies We come 20 the period when Mr. Rnskinex
changes Prou for Turner; AM here ". find number
ofar,wfrcs N which the etchngs Of Turner arc copied
and others again in which Turner'S way OF ooEinr al
uafure T. felt TO be the students model The true inter
sr NJ the cx hi;ion does for t1e most OF Ne
lin we come the GrRwines of The Architecture al ven
ice For the drawings of the detail OF nagural 90
iectsof plant. flowers aud rocks-th0u1h spoTnga
world Of pttenee ana slEili only clover wih tn
skm and clcverness thar Is ebtainabie bv paiiencf
Drswnss as skiul as these are produced by workers
IN spccai fields Of delnction the world over. and we
cannot be moved by them TO any special delight
They are mere unrelated sDecmens win no more con-
necton with Art than the flowers in herbaIum have 10
A garden. Tae drawing black and white OF
block OF gness rock a remarkable piece OF draughs
mansaip euf " Is only draughtsmanship and nothing
more task wholly within the power Of patient toll
Yet II cannos but strike the impartial spectator that
Mr.. Ruskin's Studies m drawing are not truly pIo-
ressive. The point which he leads usi eismetTt
ealy opposite principles methods with which
he just IN his so-ealied art criticisms we
ind led about hfher thither bT his personal
preferences the mood Of the hour, calling on US
10 admire his peturr and that other. like happy
child garden OF flowers. pictures often unlike
one another marlgoid and 10 these drlw-
ings. him trying now one metrod now another
a. knowled:e taste until at last DE
fixes Epou n style that seems oddly familiar 20 Us
And indeed this style proves 90 be IN all respects
identical with that employed by those artists
Of tc-lay whom AR Rnskin's soul sbhors This
adt- aatI rba
legitimate outcome Mr.. Rnskin's early studies and
latest teachings. Those should have led him straight
hard. la0ored. nfeess work like thar OF Mr.. Viii
lam Hunt. Of the Od Water-CoOr society. or 10 srch
faithful rivalry with photography seen IN ms own
studies OF Venetian architecture Aud there should
have stopped II he had followed the advice he
liberal OF others. But he kept dniug ,xaey vhat
his fancy Dictated until az length he offers MS such bits
OF generalization Nos o. and %. sucha sYu phouy
In ne-coor No. 30, drawing with Tar less els
coverable meaning IN il tnan any Of those works OF
Mr. Whistler whca he called throwing pots OF paint
The public's face.
The studies Of Venetian architecture have the appear
auee % being accurate. and the subjects unnack
neyed ami selected with much taste. Most OF these
Venetian architecture were maze for work
protected by Mr Rskin. Exam pcs OF the Architecture
Of Venice. selected and drawn TO measurement
from the edinces" London, ISL. Only three
ports OF tins WORK. containing niteen plates were
published. Considering how ch the prospectus Of
this WORK had 10 say &C. the oi the drawings
we are surprised 10 ind az least important ex
ample. where enabled 10 compare the engraved
plate viii photograph OF the actual subject. that the
accuracy Is only superficial This OF course may be the
fault Of eneaver bus If the visitor VIII compare the
sDoor-hcaa in Campo :. Margaria No. CD, engraved
tor the Exsmres.etc with the Photograph Of the same
Doorhend No. VIII that te copvis has been
not merely care es but that he has repeatedly ventued
on chang si-ht in appearance, but not rnim-
portant. IN the patterns OF the smal
squares OF east brick which III up thp
fvmpanmn on either side OF the central shield, while
the whole aooI-Lcad been restored 20 hard neat
ness sueh tniak impossible &c could ever have
shown. even when newest These drawings profess 70
aim 10 nothing accuracy ana Il is unsa;sf ciory
% fnl photograph teaching us 10 mistrust them on
this capital pinf This collection OF drawings WILL no
doubt prove OF considerable interest those
who feel themselves drlEa 20 Mr.. Ruskin br strong
personal magnetism who deeply persuaded by
his writings i0 believe hun something more than
brilliant and delightful Nriter-a prophet on
social political and economic matters. and great
authority mafters OF Art But for those who look at
the collection merely for what a. Is in ITSELF without ref
erance 20 personal considerations must remain dis
play OF more curious autographs, few Of them
show ng no manual dexterry, but rarely pretend
lDe TO poetic treatment and IN the technical skill dis
played in them greatly n al all IN advance OF the
performances Of many modest and faithful students at
home AID over seas.