Modern Painters: Volume 1. Of General Principles, and of Truth [Paperback]

John Ruskin (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 534 pages
• Publisher: Adamant Media Corporation (December 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1402108613
• ISBN-13: 978-1402108617
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.2 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,001,300 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Keen insights, March 21, 2010

By 

R. Vogel (Arcadia, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Modern Painters: Volume 1. Of General Principles, and of Truth (Paperback)

This book is the first in a series on painters by Ruskin, modern at the time of writing, focusing chiefly on J.M.W.Turner, whom Ruskin, well, adores. Ruskin has many keen insights into art, painting, and what is and isn't art. He tells it like it is, and makes some important points. The book, or series of books, was apparently well read in previous times, and apparently not read at all in our epoch of Modern Art. What irony. Anyway, the book is a little difficult to read, and references painters who may have been well known to his readers in 19th century London, but are today not well known, except of course for Turner. Ruskin admits that Turners works lose a lot of their sparkle quickly, due to the intransigent nature of his materials, and suggests that Turner would have been better off doing a few oils a year, instead of dozens or hundreds or watercolors. May I also suggest Ruskin's excellent book called the Elements of Drawing? Worth a read, and easier to digest. Four stars because it is Ruskin, and has many elements of truth, not 5 because its a tough read, and maybe not too easy to assimilate.