The morning call., 1893-01-08
JOHN RUSKIN.

The news that John Ruskin is in hope
less condition OF mental alteration, and
that his brain will never be clear again for
literary work. is a sad tmmunicati0n to
American readers, as ic is TO all lovers of
thought and artexpressed in English. His
lies work is done, and what grand work it
has been. 1t was work eminently edu-
eative. 1t did good in two ways. People
were compelled to think and study by what
he uttered about art and about the flaws,
failures and nobilit.es of life. Those who
differed from him were compelled to de-
fend their differences in the most lucid
language they could employ. The result
has been clearer ideas on art by the masses,
who were without technical knowledge
and were without the soul Of taste. but who
we're eager to be instructed in the appreeia-
tiun Of art. The man whose writings made
Turner the most famous artist England has
produced, and the most famous landscape
artist the world has produced; the man who
bought a small painting by MeissonieT
about the size of a single for $500, and
afterward sold it for $4,000, had profound
Judgment, and the public had q guide such
as mad never before arisen. The publca-
ton of his Modern Painters" so much
derided at the time by the Quldnuncs OF
shsllowness. effeetually smashed the idols
that debased taste and ignorance had so
long worshiped.
Art in every country again has life and
hope, beca use we have returned TO the models
the ancients and the early Italian masters
took. We have returned TO nature for in
Slruction and elevation of the ideal in sub
jeets. The nineteenth century witnesses a
renaissance OF art on sound principles, in
new directions, and as far as England and
America are concerned RnSkin has assisted
the movement of truth and sincerity in art
materially. 1t may be admitted. however
that photography came 10 the aid Of Rus
kn'S celebrations on the value Of fdelityin
tree forms. the flush of morning or evening
in the sky, the SubtIety Of cloud-p painting
and the iutrcacies Of shadows. reflections
and leaf spaces. Never had man before
reasoned on these subjects with such eagle
eyed perception, but even the language of a
poet-pTose writer like Ruskin is feeble COM
pared With a photograph. for many artistic
purposes. Had Salvador Rosa possessed a
camera be would not have painted tae
boughs Of trees like the horns Of cattle.
Ruskin compelled people to think about
art, and they have by no means yet ex-
hausted tie ambit OF possibilities in
thought Il may be that in the espousal of
the cause Of a wroDged mau, that universal
artist. Turner, be did injustice by neglect
10 others, but his was The piercing vision
that saw the eminence of Turner, and. as
the world now admits, he proved it. But
Ruskin has gone much further than this.
He has furnished the world with an en-
cyclOpedia of art in all its ramifcations.
lie has left no subject untouched, and such
is tie spirit of his reasoning and the
felicitous beauty Of his language that lie
often captiYates where his reasoning is
faulty, or partial, and misleads where he
would sincerely edify Prominently he
is man of convictions, thought out and
rationalzed in his own innerm0st belief
The elegance and transluceBcy Of his style
overpOwer the judgment, and hence many
people persuade themselves that they
understand arr, and can give advice about
II, merely because they have perused a few
tones Of RnSkin on painting and architect
ure. Thus the tourist, who has imbibpd a
course of Ruskln, and passes a year in
Europe, knows everything about the gal
leries and the artists and their works. His
self-contidence is amazing, and Ruskin's
dcta have had a share in shaping his con-
ceits.
Probably Ruskin has more readers in
America than in all other countries of the
world combined. The reason is obvious.
With the exception of one volume recently
issued his books have not had the benefit of
copyrights. Anybody could publish them.
While ne could and did, through his pub
lisheTs charge 500 for a copy of Modern
Painters" or the Stones Of Venice" the
American reader could procure these works
for couple of dollars. Wiley & Suns did
offer Ruskin a percentage on their sales,
but he sternly refused to have anything to
say to publishers who were using the ema-
nations of his brain without mis- consent
Latterly Ruskin has lowered his prices. and
be is reaching the masses in England. In
this country his works are almost school
books. and every page is wholesome reading
in the opinion of those who hope for the
moral regeneration of mankind.