The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-03-24
A MIGHTY IMPULSE
Has Been Given by Ruskin
Toward a new National Life.
LECTURE BY PRES. RAYMOND
Before tho Wheeling Teachers Assoc
citation Last Night was Thoroughly
Enjoyed by tho Large and Cultured
Audience that Greeted him : Rus
kin has Prepared tho way for .
Clearer Social Atmosphere.

u y = #
kin has Prepared tho way for q
Clearer Social Atmosphere.
Last night at the High School hall,
President Jerome H. Raymond. OF the
West Virginia University, delivered the
fourth OF his lectures before the Wheel
Ing Teachers Association, and It was q
large and cultured audience that greet
ed the distinguished speaker.
"Ruskin and Aesthetics" was the sub
Ject Of DR.. Raymond's lecture. The
speaker began his address by saying
K that Frederic Harrison. one OF the
keenest Of English critics. attributed to
the influence Of Ruskin the great change
which has come over England during
the last fifty years, the change from
ugl!ness TO beauty, from yulgarlty, to a
love Of art.
DR.. Raymond then proceeded to show
that Ruskin has indeed by his life and
work given q mighty Impulse toward q
new national life for England. The
whole message Of Ruskin's life might be
summed UP In the word beauty" for 1t
was beauty which Rusklu tried to In
terpret to England throughout long
and laborious life. The speaker then
gave an account of Ruskin's childhood,
showing that Ruskin was an example
OF the power OF heredity and early
training. From his father he Inherited
his love OF refined literature, Of beauti-
full pictures and romantic scenery; from
his mother his systematic methods OF
thought and action. DR.. Raymond
cited number OF instances showing
that the child Is father OF the man
the pleasure of the child Ruskin in the
colors Of bright carpets. his delight in
watching the sparkle of water drops,
his curiosity ut the change OF color In
the pulpit cushion when the minister
thumped It. When but four years old,
painted. the artist asked him what sort
Of background he would like. The little
child replied blue hills!" Love OF
beauty had already dawhed In his soul.
All the surroundings OF the boy as he
grew to manhood were such as tended
to develop love Of the beautiful In
Ruskin. His father was wealthy and
gratifed the boys hunger for beautiful
pictures and grand scenery. A trip to
Switzerland gave him his first deep love
OF mountains. loyalty lifelong in its
steadfastness. His first day in the Alps
fixed his destiny Among the shadows
and sorrows OF after-lfc, his heart re-
turned to'that day as a day Of t;anscen-
dent revelation. Who that has read his
descriptions OF mountains In Modern
Painters" can doubt that their majesty
and grandeur have been his greatest in
SEPARATION?
Ruskin was a lifelong disciple OF the
great English artist Turner. When
Turner was misunderstood and bitterly
4 criticized as being 'out OF nature" Rus
kin defended him. his defense after
ward becoming the first chapter In
Modern Painters" After completing
his defense Of Turner. Ruskin wrote on
and on until he produced the first vol
ume OF Modern Painters" an inquiry
into the true principles of painting and
defense Of Turner's art. In this work
Ruskin pied for an awakening OF q per-
ception Of the Siorfes and wonders of
nature. He showed that everything in
English architecture and English deco
ration was ugly. He tried to make En-
gland look at nature and see the mean
Ing OF Its loneliness; he insisted that the
beauty of nature was intimately con-
nected with human life and human ex-
perience. He asserted that ideas OF
beauty are among the noblest that can
be presented to the human mind, in
there Is not simple object In nature
which is not capable Of conveying these
lessons OF beauty. He pied for closer
study OF nature. and indicated the
greatness OF that art which Is faithful
to nature.
Modern Painters" was begun In 1919.
The fifth and last volume was finished
in 1860. Received at first with derlsion.
the completion Of the work saw Ruskin
accepted as the first art critic OF Eng
land Two results may be more or less
directly traced to Ruskln's art criti-
cism: 1. The revival OF enthusiasm for
Gothic architecture. 2. The founding OF
the Pre-Raphaelite school OF painting.
To this school belonged Nillais, Dante
Gabriel Rosettl and Holman Hunt.
These artists claimed that art must be
exactly faithful to nature. Ruskin be-
came their ardent champion. and 1t may
truly be said that the result OF the Pre-
Raphaelite movement was to bring
about the advancement OF the natural
In art.
DR.. Raymond then briefly discussed
Rusldn's great Influence as an art critic
during this period OF his life, showing
that his praise often made the fortune
OF artists. while his unfavorable criti-
cism doomed others to failure.
In 1860. n great change seemed to
come over the thought and writings OF
Ruskin. Indeed many critics speak OF
RuskIn's life as divided Into two sepa-
rate lives: the first that OF the interpre-
ter OF beauty. the art critic who preach.
ed gospel OF beauty with its refining
and ennobllng influence on national
life; the second that of vehement
teacher OF Political Economy" Many
deem this so-called change q most un-
accountable mystery and brand the
second Ruskin" as insane, visionary
fanatic. But careful survey will show
that Ruskin's life Is q unit In its donitn-
ant idea-that one great thought has
been the inspiring principle Of youth
manhood and old age: the Importance
OF beauty In life and the establishment,
OF n pure art In England. Ruskin saw
that England's social order was all dis
torted; that misery and vice abounded;
that before art could flourish, the social
order must be purified. So he struck at
social evils because they prevented the
beautiful from accomplishing Its work
Heaccforth he wrote and talked on
those evils which were sappfng the
strength OF Englands body polite. and
denounced whatever he saw was dwarf.
Ing art and It's Influence.
In all Ruskin's later work. Carlyle wa
his strongest sympathizer. Both de
nounced what seemed to them the cry
Ing evils OF the time and both were sim
cere in wanting o better world, Rus.
kin's aesthetics gradually broadenet
Into a far greater system OF thought, thu
beauty and harmony of rational human
society. He believed that our present