John Ruskin, 2: The Later Years

John Ruskin, one of the greatest writers and thinkers of the nineteenth century, was also one of the most prolific. Not only did he publish some 250 works, but he also wrote lectures, diaries, and thousands of letters that have not been published. This book--the second and final volume of Tim Hilton's acclaimed biography of Ruskin, which is published on the centenary of Ruskin's death--draws on the original source material to give a moving account of the life of this brilliant and creative man.
The book begins in 1859, when Ruskin, a famous author with a disastrous marriage behind him, is living with his parents, writing and traveling, and tutoring--among other pupils--Rose La Touche, a girl of ten, with whom he slowly falls in love. Hilton recounts how this relationship developed into one of the saddest love affairs of literary history, ending in tragedy in 1875. Thereafter, says Hilton, Ruskin's life was punctuated by bouts of insanity and despair that culminated in total breakdown for the last ten years of his life. During these years, however, his intellect and imagination reached new heights, as he produced Praeterita and most of Fors Clavigera, the series of monthly letters to British workers. Hilton's magisterial narrative follows Ruskin through this period and shows that he was the most eloquent and radical of all the great Victorian writers.

This is the second and final volume of Tim Hilton's acclaimed life of John Ruskin, one of the greatest writers and thinkers of the nineteenth century. Ruskin was the most prolific English writer there has ever been. His published works alone number some 250 titles, and this is besides lectures, diaries, and tens of thousands of letters that remain unpublished. This is the first biography of Ruskin to return to the original source material, some of which has been read for the first time since being written, by the author. It begins in 1859 with Ruskin, famous as the author of 'Modern Painters', 'The Seven Lamps of Architecture' and 'The Stones of Venice', living in south London with his parents, his disastrous marriage over, continuing to write and travel and to tutor, amongst other pupils, Rose La Touche, a girl of ten, with whom he slowly fell in love. This relationship would develop into one of the saddest love affairs of literary history ending in tragedy in 1875, and from which Ruskin would never recover. From 1875 onwards Ruskin was plagued by bouts of insanity and despair that would lead to total breakdown for the last ten years of his life, but, as Hilton shows, the later years, far from being a period merely of decline, were a time when the great man's intellect and imagination reached new heights. It was in these years that Ruskin produced 'Praeterita' and most of 'Fors Clavigera' - the series of monthly letters to British workers which Hilton discusses in the context of the writer's life. Ruskin's versatility was astonishing. He could be instigating plans for draining slum marshland on the outskirts of Oxford or setting up the philanthropic 'Guild of St George', or he was adding to his extensive collections of minerals or paintings (particularly Turners) or literary manuscripts. As Slade Professor of Art at the University of Oxford he founded his drawing schools, today the Ruskin School of Art. His books and lectures were on subjects ranging from history of art to social reform to botany. Hilton gives a magisterial and moving account of this brilliant and creative mind and shows Ruskin to have been the most eloquent and radical of all the great Victorian writers. Tim Hilton has taught painting and history of art in several British art schools and universities. His previous books include 'The Pre-Raphaelites', 'Picasso', and 'The Sculpture of Phillip King'. He has written the catalogues of a number of exhibitions, including 'Drawings by Miro' (1980), 'Picasso's Picassos' (1982) and 'Anthony Caro' (1984). Former art critic for the 'Guardian' and the 'Independent on Sunday', his 'John Ruskin: The Early Years' was published in 1985 and remains available today.