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.

“Men don't and can't live by exchanging articles, but by producing them. They don't live by trade, but by work. Give up that foolish and vain title of Trades Unions and take that of laborers Unions.”

— John Ruskin

Men

All Quotes by John Ruskin

“A great thing can only be done by a great person and they do it without effort.”

— John Ruskin

Great

“No lying knight or lying priest ever prospered in any age, but especially not in the dark ones. Men prospered then only in following an openly declared purpose, and preaching candidly beloved and trusted creeds.”

— John Ruskin

Age

“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

“Men don't and can't live by exchanging articles, but by producing them. They don't live by trade, but by work. Give up that foolish and vain title of Trades Unions and take that of laborers Unions.”

— John Ruskin

Men

“No art can be noble which is incapable of expressing thought, and no art is capable of expressing thought which does not change.”

— John Ruskin

Art

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

— John Ruskin

Science

“Great nations write their autobiographies in three manuscripts - the book of their deeds, the book of their words and the book of their art.”

— John Ruskin

Art

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

— John Ruskin

Society

“Education is the leading of human souls to what is best, and making what is best out of them.”

— John Ruskin

Best

“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

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

— John Ruskin

Great

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

— John Ruskin

Education

“All that we call ideal in Greek or any other art, because to us it is false and visionary, was, to the makers of it, true and existent.”

— John Ruskin

Art

“No human being, however great, or powerful, was ever so free as a fish.”

— 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

“The principle of all successful effort is to try to do not what is absolutely the best, but what is easily within our power, and suited for our temperament and condition.”

— John Ruskin

Best

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

— John Ruskin

Great

“There is never vulgarity in a whole truth, however commonplace. It may be unimportant or painful. It cannot be vulgar. Vulgarity is only in concealment of truth, or in affectation.”

— John Ruskin

Truth

“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

“Art is not a study of positive reality, it is the seeking for ideal truth.”

— John Ruskin

Art