BIB_ID
311571
Accession number
MA 1940.66
Creator
Ruskin, John, 1819-1900.
Display Date
[before 6 December 1871].
Credit line
Gift of James P. Magill, 1958.
Description
1 item (3 p.) ; 17.8 cm
Notes
In this letter Ruskin refers to his mother needing him to stay at home, therefore, the dating of this letter is taken from the contents to be prior to the date of her death on December 6, 1871.
Part of a collection of letters from John Ruskin to Mrs. Hewitt. Letters in this collection have been described individually in separate catalog records; see collection-level record for more information.
Part of a collection of letters from John Ruskin to Mrs. Hewitt. Letters in this collection have been described individually in separate catalog records; see collection-level record for more information.
Provenance
Gift of James P. Magill in 1958.
Summary
Expressing his frustration with her questions and saying that "most of them are only answerable by labour; saying he finds it curious that she and others ask about 'high art" without "taking the trouble to enable yourselves to do the least bit of really serious and serviceable work and remaining quite voluntarily incapable of doing the most ordinary A.B.C. exercises; saying he has sent her "a little bit of Rossetti's waste paper" with examples of drawings that he would like her to try to copy; saying that she may choose her medium, "water colour, pen, chalk or oil;" adding that "I'm humoring you just like a child. I wouldn't if you weren't ill but I'm very sorry for you."
Catalog link
Department