Seeing Many Beautiful Things: John Ruskin’s Printing Plates and Woodcut Blocks

By Melinda Creech
Graduate Assistant, Armstrong Browning Library

The Armstrong Browning Library owns a collection of printing plates and woodcut blocks engraved from sketches by John Ruskin.

ruskin-woodcutsThese printing plates were used in illustrating Ruskin’s The Two Paths and Aratra Pentelici. Prints of the plates have been made by the Baylor Press to illustrate the designs.

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Ruskin, John. The Two Paths: Being Lectures on Art, and Its Application to Decoration and Manufacture, Delivered in 1858-9. London: Smith, Elder and Co, 1859.

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Angel in The Two Paths: Being Lectures on Art, and Its Application to Decoration and Manufacture, Delivered in 1858-9. London: Smith, Elder and Co, 1859, 27.

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Print of Angel from printing plate and woodcut block.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Serpent Beguiling Eve in The Two Paths: Being Lectures on Art, and Its Application to Decoration and Manufacture, Delivered in 1858-9. London: Smith, Elder and Co, 1859, 30.

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Print of Serpent Beguiling Eve from woodcut block and printing plates.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Blob, Stick Man, and Handkerchief in The Two Paths: Being Lectures on Art, and Its Application to Decoration and Manufacture, Delivered in 1858-9. London: Smith, Elder and Co, 1859, 110-111.

stickman001

Print of Stick Man from printing plate and woodcut block.

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Print of Handkerchief from printing plate and woodcut block.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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House (Fig. 1.) in The Two Paths: Being Lectures on Art, and Its Application to Decoration and Manufacture, Delivered in 1858-9. London: Smith, Elder and Co, 1859, 260.

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Print of House (Fig. 1.) from printing plate.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

aratra-pentelici001

Ruskin, John. Aratra Pentelici. Six Lectures on the Elements of Sculpture, Given Before the University of Oxford in Michaelmas Term, 1870. New York: John Wiley and sons, 1891. Print.

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Breakfast Plate (Fig. 1.) in Aratra Pentelici. Six Lectures on the Elements of Sculpture, Given Before the University of Oxford in Michaelmas Term, 1870. New York: John Wiley and sons, 1891, 9.

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Print of Breakfast Plate (Fig. 1.) from printing plate.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Spirit of Agriculture (Fig. 3.) in Aratra Pentelici. Six Lectures on the Elements of Sculpture, Given Before the University of Oxford in Michaelmas Term, 1870. New York: John Wiley and sons, 1891, 57.

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Print of the Spirit of Agriculture (Fig. 3.) from printing plate.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Zeus and Hephaestus (Fig. 4.) in  Aratra Pentelici. Six Lectures on the Elements of Sculpture, Given Before the University of Oxford in Michaelmas Term, 1870. New York: John Wiley and sons, 1891, 62.

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Print of Zeus and Hephaestus (Fig. 4.) from printing plate.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Angel (Figure 5.) in Aratra Pentelici. Six Lectures on the Elements of Sculpture, Given Before the University of Oxford in Michaelmas Term, 1870. New York: John Wiley and sons, 1891, 66.

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Print of Angel (Figure 5.) from printing plate.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Owl (Figure 6.) in  Aratra Pentelici. Six Lectures on the Elements of Sculpture, Given Before the University of Oxford in Michaelmas Term, 1870. New York: John Wiley and sons, 1891, 69.

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Print of Owl (Figure 6.) from printing plate.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Fish (Figure 7.) in Aratra Pentelici. Six Lectures on the Elements of Sculpture, Given Before the University of Oxford in Michaelmas Term, 1870. New York: John Wiley and sons, 1891, 69.

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Print of Fish (Figure 7.) from printing plate.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Branched Iron Bar (Figure 8.) in Aratra Pentelici. Six Lectures on the Elements of Sculpture, Given Before the University of Oxford in Michaelmas Term, 1870. New York: John Wiley and sons, 1891, 135.

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Print of Branched Iron Bar (Figure 8.) from printing plate.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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XII Branch of Phillyrea in Aratra Pentelici. Six Lectures on the Elements of Sculpture, Given Before the University of Oxford in Michaelmas Term, 1870. New York: John Wiley and sons, 1891, before 151.

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Outline of Branch of Phillyrea (Figure 9.) in Aratra Pentelici. Six Lectures on the Elements of Sculpture, Given Before the University of Oxford in Michaelmas Term, 1870. New York: John Wiley and sons, 1891, 151.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Print of Outline of Branch of Phillyrea from printing plate.