John Ruskin

“ The feelings of different artists are incapable of full comparison. 415 § 3. But the fidelity and truth of each are capable of real comparison. 415 § 4. Especially because they are equally manifested in the treatment of all subjects. 415 § 5. No man draws one thing well, if he can draw nothing else. 416 § 6. General conclusions to be derived from our past investigation. 417 § 7. Truth, a standard of all excellence. ”

“ The perfect function of the imagination is the intuitive perception of ultimate truth. 188 § 30. Imagination how vulgarly understood. 190 § 31. How its cultivation is dependent on the moral feelings. 190 § 32. On independence of mind. 191 § 33. And on habitual reference to nature. 191 Chapter IV.-Of Imagination Contemplative. § 1. Imagination contemplative is not part of the essence, but only a habit or mode of the faculty. 192 § 2. The ambiguity of conception. 192 § 3. Is not in itself capable of adding to the charm of fair things. ”

“ No necessity of entering into discussion of architectural truth. 409 § 2. Extreme difficulty of illustrating or explaining the highest truth. 410 § 3. The positive rank of Turner is in no degree shown in the foregoing pages, but only his relative rank. 410 § 4. The exceeding refinement of his truth. 411 § 5. There is nothing in his works which can be enjoyed without knowledge. 411 § 6. And nothing which knowledge will not enable us to enjoy. 412 § 7. His former rank and progress. 412 § 8. Standing of his present works. Their mystery is the consequence of their fulness. ”

“ It is never to be for itself exhibited—at least on the face. 130 § 33. Recapitulation. 131 Chapter XV.-General Conclusions respecting the Theoretic Faculty. § 1. There are no sources of the emotion of beauty more than those found in things visible. 133 § 2. What imperfection exists in visible things. How in a sort by imagination removable. 134 § 3. Which however affects not our present conclusions. 134 § 4. The four sources from which the pleasure of beauty is derived are all divine. 134 § 5. What objections may be made to this conclusion. 135 § 6. Typical beauty may be æsthetically pursued. ”

“ Sublimity is the effect upon the mind of anything above it. 41 § 2. Burke's theory of the nature of the sublime incorrect, and why. 41 § 3. Danger is sublime, but not the fear of it. 42 § 4. The highest beauty is sublime. 42 § 5. And generally whatever elevates the mind. 42 § 6. The former division of the subject is therefore sufficient. 42 PART II. OF TRUTH. SECTION I. GENERAL PRINCIPLES RESPECTING IDEAS OF TRUTH. Chapter I., Of Ideas of Truth in their connection with those of Beauty and Relation § 1. The two great ends of landscape painting are the representation of facts and thoughts. ”

“ The sensation of power ought not to be sought in imperfect art. 34 § 8. Instances in pictures of modern artists. 35 § 9. Connection between ideas of power and modes of execution. 35 Chapter II., Of Ideas of Power, as they are dependent upon Execution § 1. Meaning of the term "execution." 36 § 2. The first quality of execution is truth. 36 § 3. The second, simplicity. 36 § 4. The third, mystery. 37 § 5. The fourth, inadequacy; and the fifth, decision. 37 § 6. The sixth, velocity. 37 § 7. Strangeness an illegitimate source of pleasure in execution. ”

“ Coldness or want of beauty no sign of truth. 48 § 10. How truth may be considered a just criterion of all art. 48 Chapter II., That the Truth of Nature is not to be discerned by the Uneducated Senses § 1. The common self-deception of men with respect to their power of discerning truth. 50 § 2. Men usually see little of what is before their eyes. ”

“ Many of our ideas of sky altogether conventional. 205 § 5. Nature, and essential qualities of the open blue. 206 § 6. Its connection with clouds. 207 § 7. Its exceeding depth. 207 § 8. These qualities are especially given by modern masters. 207 § 9. And by Claude. 208 § 10. Total absence of them in Poussin. Physical errors in his general treatment of open sky. ”

“ The truth of this particular passage. Perfectly pure blue sky only seen after rain, and how seen. [Page lxv] 256 § 23. Absence of this effect in the works of the old masters. 256 § 24. Success of our water-color artists in its rendering. Use of it by Turner. 257 § 25. Expression of near rain-cloud in the Gosport, and other works. 257 § 26. Contrasted with Gaspar Poussin's rain-cloud in the Dido and Æneas. 258 § 27. Turner's power of rendering mist. 258 § 28. His effects of mist so perfect, that if not at once understood, they can no more be explained or reasoned on than nature herself. ”

“ Errors of Cuyp in graduation of color. 209 § 12. The exceeding value of the skies of the early Italian and Dutch schools. Their qualities are unattainable in modern times. 210 § 13. Phenomena of visible sunbeams. Their nature and cause. 211 § 14. They are only illuminated mist, and cannot appear when the sky is free from vapor, nor when it is without clouds. 211 § 15. Erroneous tendency in the representation of such phenomena by the old masters. 212 § 16. The ray which appears in the dazzled eye should not be represented. 213 § 17. The practice of Turner. ”

“ Greatness and truth are sometimes by the Deity sustained and spoken in and through evil men. 137 § 9. The second objection arising from the coldness of Christian men to external beauty. 138 § 10. Reasons for this coldness in the anxieties of the world. These anxieties overwrought and criminal. 139 § 11. Evil consequences of such coldness. 140 § 12. Theoria the service of Heaven. 140 SECTION II. OF THE IMAGINATIVE FACULTY. Chapter I.-Of the Three Forms of Imagination. § 1. A partial examination only of the imagination is to be attempted. ”

“ Distinction between decorative and expressive language. 10 § 7. Instance in the Dutch and early Italian schools. 10 § 8. Yet there are certain ideas belonging to language itself. 11 § 9. The definition. 12 Chapter III.Of Ideas of Power § 1. What classes of ideas are conveyable by art. 13 § 2. Ideas of power vary much in relative dignity. 13 § 3. But are received from whatever has been the subject of power. The meaning of the word "excellence." 14 § 4. What is necessary to the distinguishing of excellence. [Page liv] 15 § 5. The pleasure attendant on conquering difficulties is right. ”

“ Still greater fulness and finish in landscape foregrounds. 200 § 16. Space and size are destroyed alike by distinctness and by vacancy. 202 § 17. Swift execution best secures perfection of details. 202 § 18. Finish is far more necessary in landscape than in historical subjects. 202 § 19. Recapitulation of the section. 203 SECTION III., OF TRUTH OF SKIES Chapter I., Of the Open Sky. § 1. The peculiar adaptation of the sky to the pleasing and teaching of man. ”

“ Reasons for merely, at present, naming, without examining the particular effects of light rendered by Turner. 266 § 2. Hopes of the author for assistance in the future investigation of them. 266 SECTION IV. OF TRUTH OF EARTH. Chapter I., Of General Structure § 1. First laws of the organization of the earth, and their importance in art. 270 § 2. The slight attention ordinarily paid to them. Their careful study by modern artists. 271 § 3. General structure of the earth. The hills are its action, the plains its rest. ”

“ Color of the Napoleon. 163 § 10. Necessary discrepancy between the attainable brilliancy of color and light. 164 § 11. This discrepancy less in Turner than in other colorists. 165 § 12. Its great extent in a landscape attributed to Rubens. 165 § 13. Turner scarcely ever uses pure or vivid color. 166 § 14. The basis of gray, under all his vivid hues. 167 § 15. The variety and fulness even of his most simple tones. 168 § 16. Following the infinite and unapproachable variety of nature. ”

“ Tone, light, and color, are secondary. 72 § 3. And deceptive chiaroscuro the lowest of all. 73 Chapter VII., General Application of the Foregoing Principle § 1. The different selection of facts consequent on the several aims at imitation or at truth. 74 § 2. The old masters, as a body, aim only at imitation. 74 § 3. What truths they gave. 75 § 4. The principles of selection adopted by modern artists. 76 § 5. General feeling of Claude, Salvator, and G. Poussin, contrasted with the freedom and vastness of nature. 77 § 6. Inadequacy of the landscape of Titian and Tintoret. ”

“ Infinity how necessary in art. 41 § 7. Conditions of its necessity. 42 § 8. And connected analogies. 42 § 9. How the dignity of treatment is proportioned to the expression of infinity. 43 § 10. Examples among the Southern schools. 44 § 11. Among the Venetians. 44 § 12. Among the painters of landscape. 45 § 13. Other modes in which the power of infinity is felt. 45 § 14. The beauty of curvature. 46 § 15. How constant in external nature. 46 § 16. The beauty of gradation. 47 § 17. How found in nature. 47 § 18. How necessary in Art. 48 § 19. Infinity not rightly implied by vastness. ”

“ The truth, as it is given by J. D. Harding. 387 § 9. Boughs, in consequence of this law, must diminish where they divide. Those of the old masters often do not. 388 § 10. Boughs must multiply as they diminish. Those of the old masters do not. 389 § 11. Bough-drawing of Salvator. 390 § 12. All these errors especially shown in Claude's sketches, and concentrated in a work of G. Poussin's. 391 § 13. Impossibility of the angles of boughs being taken out of them by wind. 392 § 14. Bough-drawing of Titian. 392 § 15. Bough-drawing of Turner. ”

“ Expression of the effects of age on Architecture by S. Prout. 112 § 32. His excellent composition and color. 114 § 33. Modern architectural painting generally. G. Cattermole. 115 § 34. The evil in an archæological point of view of misapplied invention, in architectural subject. 117 § 35. Works of David Roberts: their fidelity and grace. 118 § 36. Clarkson Stanfield. 121 § 37. J. M. W. Turner. Force of national feeling in all great painters. 123 § 38. Influence of this feeling on the choice of Landscape subject. 125 § 39. Its peculiar manifestation in Turner. ”

“ Works of Stanfield. His perfect knowledge and power. 353 § 12. But want of feeling. General sum of truth presented by modern art. 353 Chapter III., Of Water, as Painted by Turner § 1. The difficulty of giving surface to smooth water. 355 § 2. Is dependent on the structure of the eye, and the focus by which the reflected rays are perceived. 355 § 3. Morbid clearness occasioned in painting of water by distinctness of reflections. 356 § 4. How avoided by Turner. 357 § 5. All reflections on distant water are distinct. ”

“ Two great resultant truths; that nature is never distinct, and never vacant. 193 § 5. Complete violation of both these principles by the old masters. They are either distinct or vacant. 193 § 6. Instances from Nicholas Poussin. 194 § 7. From Claude. 194 § 8. And G. Poussin. 195 § 9. The imperative necessity, in landscape painting, of fulness and finish. 196 § 10. Breadth is not vacancy. 197 § 11. The fulness and mystery of Turner's distances. 198 § 12. Farther illustrations in architectural drawing. ”

“ Expression of retiring surface by Turner contrasted with the work of Claude. 304 § 23. The same moderation of slope in the contours of his higher hills. 304 § 24. The peculiar difficulty of investigating the more essential truths of hill outline. 305 § 25. Works of other modern artists.—Clarkson Stanfield. 305 § 26. Importance of particular and individual truth in hill drawing. 306 § 27. Works of Copley Fielding. His high feeling. 307 § 28. Works of J. D. Harding and others. 308 Chapter IV., Of the Foreground § 1. What rocks were the chief components of ancient landscape foreground. ”

“ The power in Turner of uniting a number of tones. 152 § 22. Recapitulation. 153 Chapter II., Of Truth of Color § 1. Observations on the color of G. Poussin's La Riccia. 155 § 2. As compared with the actual scene. 155 § 3. Turner himself is inferior in brilliancy to nature. 157 § 4. Impossible colors of Salvator, Titian. 157 § 5. Poussin, and Claude. 158 § 6. Turner's translation of colors. 160 § 7. Notice of effects in which no brilliancy of art can even approach that of reality. 161 § 8. Reasons for the usual incredulity of the observer with respect to their representation. ”

“ Instances of absence of imagination.—Claude, Gaspar Poussin. 158 § 19. Its presence.—Salvator, Nicolo Poussin, Titian, Tintoret. 159 § 20. And Turner. 160 § 21. The due function of Associative imagination with respect to nature. 161 § 22. The sign of imaginative work is its appearance of absolute truth. 161 Chapter III.-Of Imagination Penetrative. § 1. Imagination penetrative is concerned not with the combining but apprehending of things. 163 § 2. Milton's and Dante's description of flame. 163 § 3. The imagination seizes always by the innermost point. ”

“ Sketches not sufficiently encouraged. 422 § 20. Brilliancy of execution or efforts at invention not to be tolerated in young artists. 422 § 21. The duty and after privileges of all students. 423 § 22. Necessity among our greater artists of more singleness of aim. 423 § 23. What should be their general aim. 425 § 24. Duty of the press with respect to the works of Turner. 427 LIST OF PLATES TO VOLUME I. Page. Casa Contarini Fasan, Venice 111 From a drawing by Ruskin. The Dogana, and Santa Maria della Salute, Venice 136 From a painting by Turner. Okehampton Castle 258 From a painting by Turner. ”