J

John Ruskin

61 quotes

John Ruskin (1819–1900) was an English art critic, social thinker, and philanthropist whose ideas about art, architecture, and society profoundly influenced the Victorian and Edwardian eras. His passionate advocacy for beauty, craftsmanship, and social justice inspired movements ranging from the Arts and Crafts to early environmentalism.

“In general, pride is at the bottom of all great mistakes.”

— John Ruskin

Great

All Quotes by John Ruskin

“A little thought and a little kindness are often worth more than a great deal of money.”

— John Ruskin

Great

“In general, pride is at the bottom of all great mistakes.”

— John Ruskin

Great

“The work of science is to substitute facts for appearances, and demonstrations for impressions.”

— John Ruskin

Science

“No architecture is so haughty as that which is simple.”

— John Ruskin

Architecture

“The first duty of government is to see that people have food, fuel, and clothes. The second, that they have means of moral and intellectual education.”

— John Ruskin

Education

“I believe the first test of a truly great man is in his humility.”

— John Ruskin

Great

“Doing is the great thing, for if people resolutely do what is right, they come in time to like doing it.”

— John Ruskin

Great

“It is written on the arched sky it looks out from every star. It is the poetry of Nature it is that which uplifts the spirit within us.”

— John Ruskin

Nature

“There is no wealth but life.”

— John Ruskin

Life

“The first condition of education is being able to put someone to wholesome and meaningful work.”

— John Ruskin

Education

“The first test of a truly great man is his humility. By humility I don't mean doubt of his powers or hesitation in speaking his opinion, but merely an understanding of the relationship of what he can say and what he can do.”

— John Ruskin

Great

“Every great person is always being helped by everybody for their gift is to get good out of all things and all persons.”

— John Ruskin

Great

“Men cannot not live by exchanging articles, but producing them. They live by work not trade.”

— John Ruskin

Work

“All great and beautiful work has come of first gazing without shrinking into the darkness.”

— John Ruskin

Great

“No good is ever done to society by the pictorial representation of its diseases.”

— John Ruskin

Society

“You might sooner get lightning out of incense smoke than true action or passion out of your modern English religion.”

— John Ruskin

Religion

“The strength and power of a country depends absolutely on the quantity of good men and women in it.”

— John Ruskin

Men

“It is in this power of saying everything, and yet saying nothing too plainly, that the perfection of art consists.”

— John Ruskin

Art

“Modern education has devoted itself to the teaching of impudence, and then we complain that we can no longer control our mobs.”

— John Ruskin

Education

“An architect should live as little in cities as a painter. Send him to our hills, and let him study there what nature understands by a buttress, and what by a dome.”

— John Ruskin

Nature