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Art

Modern Painters

English BooksWhale Edition by John Ruskin

Ruskin’s major defense of Turner and a sweeping study of landscape, truth, nature, imagination, and art.

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Modern Painters

Modern Painters begins as John Ruskin’s defense of J. M. W. Turner and expands into a vast meditation on art, nature, perception, beauty, landscape, imagination, and truth to visual experience. Ruskin compares old and modern painters while asking how clouds, mountains, water, light, and human feeling should be represented with moral and artistic seriousness.

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Why this edition can be shared

John Ruskin died in 1900, and Modern Painters was first published in 1843. These dates support the public-domain basis for this original-language edition.

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Modern Painters

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Preview chapterTHE COMPLETE WORKSPreview

OF

Preview chapterJOHN RUSKINPreview

POETRY OF ARCHITECTURE SEVEN LAMPS MODERN PAINTERS VOLUME I

Table of contents

Inside this edition

  1. 01Full text
  2. 02THE COMPLETE WORKS
  3. 03JOHN RUSKIN
  4. 04NATIONAL LIBRARY ASSOCIATION NEW YORK CHICAGO
  5. 05THE COMPLETE WORKS
  6. 06JOHN RUSKIN
  7. 07VOLUME II
  8. 08VOLUME I
  9. 09MODERN PAINTERS.
  10. 10A GRADUATE OF OXFORD.
  11. 11VOL. I.
  12. 12PART I--II.
  13. 13THE LANDSCAPE ARTISTS OF ENGLAND
  14. 14IS RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED
  15. 15BY THEIR SINCERE ADMIRER,
  16. 16THE AUTHOR
  17. 17PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION.
  18. 18THE AUTHOR.
  19. 19PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION.
  20. 20FOOTNOTES
  21. 21PREFACE TO THE THIRD EDITION.
  22. 22PREFACE TO NEW EDITION (1873).
  23. 23SYNOPSIS OF CONTENTS.
  24. 24PART I.
  25. 25OF GENERAL PRINCIPLES.
  26. 26SECTION I.
  27. 27OF THE NATURE OF THE IDEAS CONVEYABLE BY ART.
  28. 28CHAPTER II.--Definition of Greatness in Art.
  29. 29CHAPTER III.--Of Ideas of Power.
  30. 30CHAPTER IV.--Of Ideas of Imitation.
  31. 31CHAPTER V.--Of Ideas of Truth.
  32. 32CHAPTER VI.--Of Ideas of Beauty.
  33. 33CHAPTER VII.--Of Ideas of Relation.
  34. 34SECTION II.
  35. 35OF POWER.
  36. 36CHAPTER I.--General Principles respecting Ideas of Power.
  37. 37CHAPTER II.--Of Ideas of Power, as they are dependent upon Execution.
  38. 38CHAPTER III.--Of the Sublime.
  39. 39PART II.
  40. 40OF TRUTH.
  41. 41SECTION I.
  42. 42GENERAL PRINCIPLES RESPECTING IDEAS OF TRUTH.
  43. 43CHAPTER I.--Of Ideas of Truth in their connection with those of Beauty and Relation.
  44. 44CHAPTER II.--That the Truth of Nature is not to be discerned by the Uneducated Senses.
  45. 45CHAPTER III.--Of the Relative Importance of Truths:--First, that Particular Truths are more important than General Ones.
  46. 46CHAPTER IV.--Of the Relative Importance of Truths:--Secondly, that Rare Truths are more important than Frequent Ones.
  47. 47CHAPTER V.--Of the Relative Importance of Truths:--Thirdly, that Truths of Color are the least important of all Truths.
  48. 48CHAPTER VI.--Recapitulation.
  49. 49CHAPTER VII.--General Application of the Foregoing Principles.
  50. 50SECTION II.
  51. 51OF GENERAL TRUTHS.
  52. 52CHAPTER I.--Of Truth of Tone.
  53. 53CHAPTER II.--Of Truth of Color.
  54. 54CHAPTER III.--Of Truth of Chiaroscuro.
  55. 55CHAPTER IV.--Of Truth of Space:--First, as Dependent on the Focus of the Eye.
  56. 56CHAPTER V.--Of Truth of Space:--Secondly, as its Appearance is dependent on the Power of the Eye.
  57. 57SECTION III.
  58. 58OF TRUTH OF SKIES.
  59. 59CHAPTER I.--Of the Open Sky.
  60. 60CHAPTER II.--Of Truth of Clouds:--First, of the Region of the Cirrus.
  61. 61CHAPTER III.--Of Truth of Clouds:--Secondly, of the Central Cloud Region.
  62. 62CHAPTER IV.--Of Truth of Clouds:--Thirdly, of the Region of the Rain-Cloud.
  63. 63CHAPTER V.--Effects of Light rendered by Modern Art.
  64. 64SECTION IV.
  65. 65OF TRUTH OF EARTH.
  66. 66CHAPTER I.--Of General Structure.
  67. 67CHAPTER II.--Of the Central Mountains.
  68. 68CHAPTER III.--Of the Inferior Mountains.
  69. 69CHAPTER IV.--Of the Foreground.
  70. 70SECTION V.
  71. 71OF TRUTH OF WATER.
  72. 72CHAPTER I.--Of Water, as Painted by the Ancients.
  73. 73CHAPTER II.--Of Water, as Painted by the Moderns.
  74. 74CHAPTER III.--Of Water, as Painted by Turner.
  75. 75SECTION VI.
  76. 76OF TRUTH OF VEGETATION.--CONCLUSION.
  77. 77CHAPTER I.--Of Truth of Vegetation.
  78. 78CHAPTER II.--General remarks respecting the Truth of Turner.
  79. 79CHAPTER III.--Conclusion.--Modern Art and Modern Criticism.
  80. 80LIST OF PLATES TO VOLUME I.
  81. 81MODERN PAINTERS.
  82. 82PART I
  83. 83OF GENERAL PRINCIPLES.
  84. 84SECTION I.
  85. 85OF THE NATURE OF THE IDEAS CONVEYABLE BY ART.
  86. 86CHAPTER I.
  87. 87INTRODUCTORY.
  88. 88FOOTNOTES
  89. 89CHAPTER II.
  90. 90DEFINITION OF GREATNESS IN ART.
  91. 91CHAPTER III.
  92. 92OF IDEAS OF POWER.
  93. 93I. Ideas of Power.--The perception or conception of the mental or bodily powers by which the work has been produced.
  94. 94II. Ideas of Imitation.--The perception that the thing produced resembles something else.
  95. 95III. Ideas of Truth.--The perception of faithfulness in a statement of facts by the thing produced.
  96. 96IV. Ideas of Beauty.--The perception of beauty, either in the thing produced, or in what it suggests or resembles.
  97. 97I shall briefly distinguish the nature and effects of each of these classes of ideas.
  98. 98FOOTNOTES
  99. 99CHAPTER IV.
  100. 100OF IDEAS OF IMITATION.
  101. 101FOOTNOTES
  102. 102CHAPTER V.
  103. 103OF IDEAS OF TRUTH.
  104. 104CHAPTER VI.
  105. 105OF IDEAS OF BEAUTY.
  106. 106CHAPTER VII.
  107. 107OF IDEAS OF RELATION.
  108. 108SECTION II.
  109. 109OF POWER.
  110. 110CHAPTER I.
  111. 111GENERAL PRINCIPLES RESPECTING IDEAS OF POWER.
  112. 112CHAPTER II.
  113. 113OF IDEAS OF POWER, AS THEY ARE DEPENDENT UPON EXECUTION.
  114. 114FOOTNOTES
  115. 115CHAPTER III.
  116. 116OF THE SUBLIME.
  117. 117PART II.
  118. 118OF TRUTH.
  119. 119SECTION I.
  120. 120GENERAL PRINCIPLES RESPECTING IDEAS OF TRUTH.
  121. 121CHAPTER I.
  122. 122OF IDEAS OF TRUTH IN THEIR CONNECTION WITH THOSE OF BEAUTY AND RELATION.
  123. 123CHAPTER II.
  124. 124THAT THE TRUTH OF NATURE IS NOT TO BE DISCERNED BY THE UNEDUCATED SENSES.
  125. 125CHAPTER III.
  126. 126CHAPTER IV.
  127. 127CHAPTER V.
  128. 128CHAPTER VI.
  129. 129RECAPITULATION.
  130. 130CHAPTER VII.
  131. 131GENERAL APPLICATION OF THE FOREGOING PRINCIPLES.
  132. 132FOOTNOTES
  133. 133CAMPO. DI. S. MAURIZIO
  134. 134G L I E S U L T A N T. PARROCCHIANI
  135. 135SECTION II.
  136. 136OF GENERAL TRUTHS.
  137. 137CHAPTER I.
  138. 138OF TRUTH OF TONE.
  139. 139FOOTNOTES
  140. 140CHAPTER II.
  141. 141OF TRUTH OF COLOR.
  142. 142FOOTNOTES
  143. 143CHAPTER III.
  144. 144OF TRUTH OF CHIAROSCURO.
  145. 145FOOTNOTES
  146. 146CHAPTER IV.
  147. 147OF TRUTH OF SPACE:--FIRST AS DEPENDENT ON THE FOCUS OF THE EYE.
  148. 148FOOTNOTES
  149. 149CHAPTER V.
  150. 150FOOTNOTES
  151. 151SECTION III.
  152. 152OF TRUTH OF SKIES.
  153. 153CHAPTER I.
  154. 154OF THE OPEN SKY.
  155. 155FOOTNOTES
  156. 156CHAPTER II.
  157. 157OF TRUTH OF CLOUDS:--FIRST, OF THE REGION OF THE CIRRUS.
  158. 158FOOTNOTES
  159. 159CHAPTER III.
  160. 160OF TRUTH OF CLOUDS:--SECONDLY, OF THE CENTRAL CLOUD REGION.
  161. 161FOOTNOTES
  162. 162CHAPTER IV.
  163. 163OF TRUTH OF CLOUDS: THIRDLY, OF THE REGION OF THE RAIN-CLOUD.
  164. 164FOOTNOTES
  165. 165CHAPTER V.
  166. 166EFFECTS OF LIGHT RENDERED BY MODERN ART.
  167. 167MORNING.
  168. 168EFFECTS. NAMES OF PICTURES.
  169. 169NOON AND AFTERNOON.
  170. 170EFFECTS. NAMES OF PICTURES.
  171. 171EVENING.
  172. 172EFFECTS. NAMES OF PICTURES.
  173. 173NIGHT.
  174. 174EFFECTS. NAMES OF PICTURES.
  175. 175SECTION IV.
  176. 176OF TRUTH OF EARTH.
  177. 177CHAPTER I.
  178. 178OF GENERAL STRUCTURE.
  179. 179CHAPTER II.
  180. 180OF THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS.
  181. 181FOOTNOTES
  182. 182CHAPTER III.
  183. 183OF THE INFERIOR MOUNTAINS.
  184. 184FOOTNOTES
  185. 185CHAPTER IV.
  186. 186OF THE FOREGROUND.
  187. 187FOOTNOTES
  188. 188SECTION V.
  189. 189OF TRUTH OF WATER.
  190. 190CHAPTER I.
  191. 191OF WATER, AS PAINTED BY THE ANCIENTS.
  192. 192FOOTNOTES
  193. 193CHAPTER II.
  194. 194OF WATER, AS PAINTED BY THE MODERNS.
  195. 195FOOTNOTES
  196. 196CHAPTER III.
  197. 197OF WATER, AS PAINTED BY TURNER.
  198. 198FOOTNOTES
  199. 199SECTION VI.
  200. 200OF TRUTH OF VEGETATION.--CONCLUSION.
  201. 201CHAPTER I.
  202. 202OF TRUTH OF VEGETATION.
  203. 203FOOTNOTES
  204. 204CHAPTER II.
  205. 205GENERAL REMARKS RESPECTING THE TRUTH OF TURNER.
  206. 206CHAPTER III.
  207. 207CONCLUSION.--MODERN ART AND MODERN CRITICISM.
  208. 208FOOTNOTES
  209. 209WORDSWORTH.
  210. 210POSTSCRIPT.
  211. 211END OF THE FIRST VOLUME.
  212. 212CORRECTIONS MADE TO THE ORIGINAL TEXT.

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