The sun., 1893-06-17
NEW BOOKS.
Brief Rsvie,rr OF Import.nt and Interestine
New Publications.

|
Of geology. and his examinations into ethics,
economies sociology. and religion. as any
body may discover who reads Mr.. W. @. Col
lingwoods we'll written and generally inter-
estipg two volumes. The Life and Work OF
John Ruskin" (Houghton. Miflin & Col Mr.
Ruskin has been q great hand at explaining
the subtlsties and the mysteries. He has ex-
plainod them In many and contradictory ways.
always with much eloduence and enthusiasm.
We do not know that his definitions OF art
have ever been seriously counted. but It has
beon said that there are as maDE as fifty OF
them. all different But this contradictory
quality is only one OF many peculiarties which
mark tho Ruskinian critlciem. apd which
are very strikingly set forth In Mr.. Colins-
| woods biography. Tho reader will be inter-
ested In the account here OF Mr. Ruskins dis
covery OF the great beauty OF Turner and tho
modern painters, followed by his discovery of
the great beauty OF tho Old Masters. When
the first volume OF Modern Painters" sp-
peared IL seemed as though the Old Masters
had got their 1uietus Mr.. Ruskin extolod
modernism. He discovered and expounded
motives In the pictures OF Turner which as
tonished and fascinated every body. and very
especially Turner himself He even COM
| pared his embarrassed contemporary to tho
| Angel OF tho Sun in the Apocalypse; but the
| passage containing this comparison was, in
difference to tho scruples OF tho religious.
omitted from later editions. He deprecated
tho Old Masters because they could not draw
clouds and rocks and trees. But he went Off
to Switzerland to study the aspects OF noun
tain FORM and on his way back. In Paris. a few
days in the Louvre suficed to make him the
devotee OF ancient art. In the great composers
difference and vonice he founda quality Of alb
stract design which Tailed with his experience
| OF what was beautiful in nature" 1t is no
wonder that he was converted. notwithstand-
ing what ho had said in the first volume of
Modern Painters," for he discovered an iden-
tity of beauty in the figure drawings OF tho
| Old Masters and tho magnificent torturings OF
the earth crust that he had lately been OBJ
serving In Switzerland "Aiguilles and glaciers.
drawn as he drew them. and the figure subjects
Of severe Italian drauRhtsmen, are beauti
full by the same laws Of composition. however
different tho associations they suggest" This
was splendid justice to the Old Masters. sura
enough They had need of 1t, perhaps. after
what he had been saying about them. Arreat
deal OF Mr.. Ruskins ~ years OF lie hns been
passed In sickness Mr.. Colltngwood tells us
that he was a difficult patient to deal with.
Once when he was III he asked tho doctor what
would be tho worst thing that he could ross-
bly, take Tho doctor replied " Beo" whoro-
upon Mr.. Ruskin ate q slice Of cold roast heo'.
anu speeuhy go' pe'.or' INV p,os'"phrr IS
nov " 'noso WIN 'e''o,' '"'' - l''sH, ~,
careful student" no saws. should be ah!o to
| trace his genius down to the end in continu-
| Gus and rational progression. Passing over
/ defined intervals OF mental disease. and allow
/ ing for vehemence of feXprcssion-partiy char
acteristic, partly the temporary effect oftho ro-
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