The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-06-24
IN RUsKIN's BEDROOM.
| A Picture by Scvcrns In the Fine
Arts Gallery.
from the Boston Transcript,

Arts gallery.
Hrom the Boston Ttanscript.)
London, June "A little sketch o.
John Ruskin's bedroom at Brentwood
made few weeks ago by Mr.. Arthur Sew
ern. hangs at the gallery of the Fine Arts
Society, among some seventy studies
sketches. and finished water-color paint
ings by Ruskins artistic idol. J. W. w
Turner. The interest of Mr. Severn S
drawing lies in it's suggestion of the in
tense and continuous pleasure and in
spiration that these wonderful works OF
Turner provided for their owner. the aged
author Of Modern Painters" For these
seventy pictures from the hand OF one OF
| England's greatest artists were a part oil
the treasures to which Ruskin held fast to
the end of his life.
1t is a simple. homelike room of which
Mr.. Severn gives one a glimpse. In the
very bedstead you find sort of reflection
of the personality of the Seer of Lakeland.
| 1t is of dark heavy wood. with no adorn-
| ment of carving. and. above ALL no hint of
| the factory or mill in its construction.
Some laborious artiicer. you feel must
have given many patient days to the fash
ioning Of this solid. cumbrous piece Of fur
niture. Its narrow length is covered with
| fresh linen. and over all lies thick. warm
| comforter of cheerful color. heavily up
while fireplace is set into the grey wall
| on the other side Of the corner. Over the
bed and ON both walls of the room hang
| the beloved Turner's. In double rows they
| depend by cords from thick gilt rod at
! such height that one can fancy the old
man being able to study the lower lice of
them merely by turning his head on the
pillow.
Thus did Ruskin learn to know and love
MIC .
were to him. 1t Is only by living with
such works. perhaps. that one can receive
their completest message There is in Lon
don now a veteran collector of paintings
who enjoys his treasures in Just such
way. His pictures have fairly overrun his
great house in Chelsea, and in every room
you may see some new group of French or
Dutch or Italian or early English works.
Yet it is when you come to the upper
chamber. the sleeping room of the white
haired genius Of the place, that you may
study the canvases dearest to the heart Of
their possessor. Hanging over the silken
couch that stands against the wall are
half dozen small but scarcely surpassable
landscapes Of Corot and Millet and
Daubigny and Rosseau. Early in the
morning." the charming old collector will
tell you. Il open the blinds Just enough
to throw faint light upon these little
i
can really and intensely enjoy tt en-"
Ruskin must have taken just such ex-
Quisite satisfaction in these wonderful Tur-
ner watercoiors. Mr.. Severn's sketch of
this corner of the room is on small scale,
but you can identify in 1t at least one Of
the four pictures hanging beside the bed
1t is wild, dramatic, colorful rendering
of the Pass of St. Gothard. as you may
see by turning to the original which hangs
hv in NJ he
Society
The st. Gothard' was one of the five
watercolor drawings made by Turner In
1S45, two Of them being commissioned by
Ruskin himself and three by Mr. Munro
Of Novar The artist was then sixty-eight
years old. and his best powers were not
always at command, but this st. Got
hard and another Alpine sketch, Col
dau, of the same series. are master works.
OF these two Ruskin himself wrote that
they were done passionately; and some
what hastily as drawing near the end
Nevertheless, l would not take all the
rest of the collection put together for
them. For the end had not come" Re
continues. though it was near His full. |
final, unshortened strength is In these;
but put forth as for the last time-in The
presence of the waiting fate. Summing
his thoughts of many things-nay. in
sort, of all things. He is not showing his |
hand, in these, but his heart. . !
There is no conventionalism-no exhibit !
ton of art In them; absolute truth OF PES |
sion, and truth OF memory. and sincerity !
of endeavor. That litter Of stones which |
Iendeavored to represent he said to me |
himself of the st. Gothard,' which re- |
called to him so many earlier visions OF |
the fierce Reuss and Ticiuo. and of the |
power that poured them from the clouds
and Glove the earth with rivers"
In 1873 Ruskin consented to an exhibit
tion at these same rooms of the Fine Art |
Society in New Bond Street. Of all his
Turner watercolors and sketches. For that
occasion he contributed to catalogue
some voluninous notes. which have been
reprinted for this repetition of the original
show. Since the earlier date, Ruskin's
collection Of Turner'S has been somewhat
depicted by his generous gifts to Oxford
and Cambridge, but the seventy examples
left include some of the best ones, and
cover all the important periods of the
artists long and busy life.
In his analysis of these Turner draw
ings, Ruskin divided the artists career
into the school days and five following pc
RODS OF mature activity. The school days.
lie considered. ended In 1860, when the
young painter was twenty-five years old.
Each decade, from 1860 to 1910. he assigns
10 separate period. subdiyiding the years
from 1S20-S0 into two epochs. The fifth
period. from 1905. practically ended
Turner's art career. for though he lived
until 1851, the last six years saw him
mere wreck, in mind and body. of his
former self. or the school day period.
Ruskin's collection boasts five drawings,
beginning with The Dover Mail" show
ing coachload of sailors traversing the
steep road that winds down to the port.
Dover Castle in all its vastnegs, dominates
he central background. and over all is a
sky of lovely blue and white. Il is the
work of a young and undeveloped genius.
AS you move slowly along the walls, fol-
owing Turner's progress through splendid
phases Of light and color and form, you
'ealize what must have been the power OF
hese pictures over the mind and heart of
heir Dossessor Ruskin's eloquent words
'oncerning his treasures show how deep
nd full was his love for them.