John Ruskin the Forgotten Art Theorist

Abstract

The paper discusses the relationship of art and reality in John Ruskin’s life and writings. It highlights the importance Ruskin bestowed upon art and applied art (design) amidst the rapid industrialization and social changes of the Victorian era through discussions of his relation both to the Pre-Raphaelite movement and to William Turner. The paper includes a survey of Ruskin’s Hungarian reception that focuses on his special relation to Nature in making applied art. This is enhanced by considering Ruskin’s non-systematic commentaries on art from the perspective of key Romantic theories of art.