Image

John Ruskin

Study of Juniper, 1863

Description

Maker

Title

Study of Juniper

Year

1863

Medium

Watercolor and opaque watercolor on blue wove paper

Materials/Techniques

Dimensions

14.3 x 12.4 cm (5 5/8 x 4 7/8 inches)

Type

Credit

Anonymous gift

Object Number

71.153.55

Projects & Publications

Publications

Selection II

British Watercolors and Drawings from the Museum's Collection

Exhibition History

Exhibition History

Drawing Closer

March 12 - September 4, 2022

A spray of juniper emerges in vivid detail against a sketchy snow-covered landscape. John Ruskin, whose reverence for nature is evident in his watercolors, made this study from direct observation of natural specimens he gathered while traveling in France. He drew the frostbitten sprig to scale, giving particular attention to the mottled berries and the tonalities of the needles, some of which are aglow with light. The contrast between the high finish of the plant and the scumbled gestural background highlights Ruskin’s remarkable powers of observation.

Luminous Landscapes

May 27 - August 14, 2005

Ruskin was the foremost art critic of his day and a great proponent of the work of J.W.M. Turner. Among other endeavors, he was also a landscape artist. His botanical studies, such as this one, were the culmination of an intensive investigation into the faithful representation of the details of nature. He used them as teaching aids in his lectures at Oxford University.

Use

The images on this website can enable discovery and collaboration and support new scholarship, and we encourage their use. This object is in the public domain (CC0 1.0). This object is Study of Juniper with the accession number of 71.153.55. To request high-resolution files or new photography, please send an email to imagerequest@risd.edu and include your name and the object's accession number.