Ruskin and the Science of Colour
‘I see colour better than most people, and know a thing or two that few do about rocks and clouds’
John Ruskin LE 29: 576
Arising out of the ‘John Ruskin and the Age of Science’ exhibition series, this project considers the pre-eminence of the colour blue for the 19th-century artist, critic and environmentalist John Ruskin (1819–1900). It explores Ruskin’s guidance for artists on the colour blue, which he considered one of the most technically challenging aspects of painting; and its aesthetic, symbolic, scientific and emotional significance in his work.
The project analyses Ruskin’s theoretical perspectives on blue, as expressed in his lectures and critical texts. It also explores Ruskin’s practical advice for artists, particularly on the technical challenges of depicting blue in painting. Using analytical techniques, the study examines blue pigments in artworks from Ruskin’s university teaching collections at Oxford, Lancaster and Harvard, and situates his radical ideas within nineteenth-century debates on colour in art, architecture, science and the natural world. By examining Ruskin’s influence on art, science and philosophy, this project underscores his role as a mediator between tradition and innovation, revealing his lasting impact on colour theory and perception.
The project also explores how Ruskin’s reflections on clouds, sky and atmospheric effects intersected with, and often challenged, nineteenth-century studies in optics, meteorology and geology. His practice reinforced his conviction that the arts and sciences are interdependent and contingent systems rooted in culture.
Project Lead: Professor Sandra Kemp, The Ruskin, in collaboration with the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford; Co-investigators Dr Victoria Kemp, Ashmolean Museum, and Professor Andrew Beeby, University of Durham