Information
John Ruskin's art criticism inspired Victorian painters to look at medieval culture with new interest. The architecture and art collections of Florence were frequently cited in his books, especially 'Modern Painters' of 1846.From the mid-1840s onwards, Ruskin made many drawings using pen and ink with a monochrome ink wash. Most drawing masters recommended this as a preliminary method for practice in handling light and shade, before attempting full watercolour. Ruskin was also to promote its use in his 1857 book 'The Elements of Drawings'.This work is more than a study. It is an exercise in tonal contrasts, animated by lively and accurate pen drawing, expressing the kind of fidelity to nature which was to be a motivation to the Pre-Raphaelites. Although previously known as 'View of Hills from Florence, with S. Felice below' and 'View near Florence,' it was identified as the 'View from San Miniato, Florence' by Jeanne Clegg and Paul Tucker ('Ruskin and Tuscany', exh. cat., p. 38). The scene shows the mid-nineteenth century view from the steps of the church of San Miato, looking north (away from San Felice and towards Monte Acuto). In the mid-1850s the church was restored and the surrounding hillside converted into a cemetary, thus obliterating Ruskin's viewpoint.
- Presented by an anonymous donor, 1907.
- © Birmingham Museums and Art Gallery
Makers
Association |
Artist |
Organisation |
Artist |
John Ruskin |
- |
Exhibitions
Catalogue No. |
Venue |
Date(s) |
Three Centuries of British Watercolours and Drawings |
163 |
Arts Council, London |
1951 - 1951 |
|
Ruskin Watercolours and Drawings |
18 |
Arts Council Touring Exhibition |
1954 - 1954 |
|
Some Pre-Raphaelite Paintings and Drawings |
61 |
National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth |
1955-07 - - |
61 |
Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea |
- - 1955-10 |
|
Rhodes Centenary Exhibition |
248 |
Rhodes Centenary Gallery, Zimbabwe |
1957 - 1957 |
|
English Eye II |
32 |
Midland Federation Travelling Exhibition |
1958 - 1958 |
|
Victorian Painting |
124 |
National Gallery of Canada, Ottowa |
1965 - 1965 |
|
Peintures et Aquarelles Anglaises 1700-1900 du Musée de Birmingham |
106 |
Musée de Lyon |
1966-10-23 - 1966-11-20 |
|
British Royal Family Exhibition |
135 |
Seibu Department Store, Tokyo |
1967-10-06 - 1967-10-18 |
|
English Artists in Italy |
155 |
Victoria and Albert Museum, London |
1968 - 1968 |
|
British Watercolours 1760-1930 from Birmingham Museums and Art Gallery |
51 |
Arts Council Touring Exhibition |
1980 - 1981 |
|
The Imagined Cities: An Italian Journey |
- |
Palazzo della Triennale, Milan |
1987-01-24 - 1987-05-17 |
|
British Watercolours from Birmingham: 150 Outstanding Works from the Permanent Collection of Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery |
93 |
Tokyo Station Gallery |
1991-06-01 - 1991-07-07 |
93 |
Museum of Fine Arts, Gifu |
1991-07-12 - 1991-08-18 |
93 |
Daimaru Museum, Umeda (Osaka) |
1991-08-21 - 1991-09-02 |
93 |
Yamanashi Prefectural Museum of Art, Kofu |
1991-09-07 - 1991-10-20 |
93 |
Bankside Gallery, London (Royal Watercolour Society) |
1991-01-22 - 1992-03-01 |
93 |
Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery |
1992 - 1992 |
|
Ruskin and Tuscany |
38 |
Accademia Italiano, London |
1993-01-08 - 1993-02-07 |
38 |
Ruskin Gallery, Sheffield |
1993-02-20 - 1993-04-10 |
38 |
Fondazione Ragghianti, Lucca |
1993-05-01 - 1993-06-12 |
|
Paesaggi di Artisti Britannici in Italia: Acquerelli del XVIII e XIX secolo della Collectione dei Birmingham Museums & Art Gallery |
- |
Galleria d'Arte Moderna, Villa Reale, Milan |
1999-05-20 - 1999-06-20 |
|
Literature
Author(s) |
Date(s) |
Publisher |
Pages |
Works of Ruskin, XXXVIII, Catalogue of Drawings |
Alexander Wedderburn, E T Cook |
1912 |
George Allen, London |
p. 252, no. 723 |
|
Catalogue of the Permanent Collection |
|
1930 |
Birmingham |
p. 180 |
|
English Drawings: An Anthology |
M T Ritchie |
1937 |
London |
p. 74 |
|
Apollo |
Fran Evans |
December 1957 |
- |
vol. 66, p. 145, fig. XX |
|
British Watercolours 1760-1930 |
|
1980 |
Arts Council, London |
p. 43; repr. p. 43 |
|
Le città immaginate - un viaggio in Italia: Nove progetti per nove città |
|
1987 |
Milan |
repr. p. 46 |
|
British Watercolours from Birmingham: 150 Outstanding Works from the Permanent Collection of Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery |
|
1992 |
Bankside Gallery, London (Royal Watercolour Society) and Birmingham Museums & Art Gallery |
pp. 212-213; repr. p. 123 |
|
Ruskin and Tuscany |
Jeanne Clegg, Paul Tucker |
1993 |
Ruskin Gallery (Collection of the Guild of St George), Sheffield and Lund Humphries, London |
p. 142-144; repr. 143 |
|
The Dominion of Daedalus: Papers from the Ruskin Workshop held in Pisa and Lucca, 13-14 May 1993 |
Paul Tucker |
1994 |
The Guild of St George, St Alban's |
p. 30, pl. 9 |
Associated places
Name |
Type |
Florence, Italy |
Depicted |
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