Discover 1000 Drawings by the World’s Greatest Artists

The text below is the excerpt of the book 1000 Drawings of Genius (ISBN: 9781783109494), written by Victoria Charles and Klaus Carl, published by Parkstone International.

This book aims to take the reader on a journey through the history of the art of drawing. As the pages advance, one can appreciate the evolution of Western art from the Late Middle Ages to the present day, as each chapter gives a visual account of the different artistic tendencies that coexisted in every century, with a generous selection of the great masters of each period. Every chapter is accompanied by a text written by a contemporary theorist or artist, in order to give the reader a better understanding of each period’s concerns and approaches to art in general, and to drawing in particular.

An extract from John Ruskin’s The Elements of Drawing, first published in 1857, has been chosen as the general introduction to this history of Western drawing. The focus, however, has not been placed on his detailed descriptions of how to practise the art of the line with the pen or pencil, or how to apply shade and colour. It may be of more interest to the reader to know the author’s recommendations and warnings for those who desire to become artists. What is interesting about Ruskin is that he acts as a kind of link between the traditional and modern approaches to art. It is very possible that Ruskin may not, today, sound very modern; his sometimes strict recommendations seem to contradict the contemporary notion of absolute creative freedom. But while he retains many values of traditional art, Ruskin was also a champion of modern figures such as Turner and the Pre- Raphaelites at a time when it was not fashionable to be so, especially of the latter.

Of course, these are the recommendations of only one particular art theorist, but Ruskin was a very important one. It is very interesting to know which artists he considers best (and worst) for a young person to admire, as well as the literature he should read. Ruskin’s is a great example because it places the reader in a time when rigid academic values were beginning to be challenged.

“It may perhaps be thought, that in prefacing a manual of drawing, I ought to expatiate on the reasons why drawing should be learned; but those reasons appear to me so many and so weighty, that I cannot quickly state or enforce them. With the reader’s permission, as this volume is too large already, I will waive all discussion respecting the importance of the subject, and touch only on those points which may appear questionable in the method of its treatment.

“In the first place, the book is not calculated for the use of children under the age of twelve or fourteen. I do not think it advisable to engage a child in any but the most voluntary practice of art. If it has talent for drawing, it will be continually scrawling on what paper it can get; and should be allowed to scrawl at its own free will, due praise being given for every appearance of care, or truth, in its efforts. It should be allowed to amuse itself with cheap colours almost as soon as it has sense enough to wish for them. If it merely daubs the paper with shapeless stains, the colour-box may be taken away till it knows better: but as soon as it begins painting red coats on soldiers, striped flags on ships, etc., it should have colours at command; and, without restraining its choice of subject […], it should be gently led by the parents to try to draw, in such childish fashion as may be, the things it can see and likes, birds, or butterflies, or flowers, or fruit. In later years, the indulgence of using the colour should only be granted as a reward, after it has shown care and progress in its drawings with pencil. A limited number of good and amusing prints should always be within a boy’s reach: in these days of cheap illustration he can hardly possess a volume of nursery tales without good woodcuts in it, and should be encouraged to copy what he likes best of this kind, but should be firmly restricted to a few prints and to a few books. If a child has many toys, it will get tired of them and break them; if a boy has many prints, he will merely dawdle and scrawl over them; it is by the limitation of the number of his possessions that his pleasure in them is perfected, and his attention concentrated.

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