Being a list of the published “selections” of Ruskin’s passages and writings. Some entries, identified by an asterisk *, have some publication data missing; if anyone reading this list can supply this, please do!
*Atwell, Henry. Thoughts from Ruskin. 1901.
Ball, A. H. R. Ruskin as Literary Critic: Selections. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge Univ., 1928.
Exactly what it purports to be, a concentration of Ruskin’s literary remarks (on Dickens, Sir Walter Scott, George Eliot, others) and statements about what constitutes great literature and its lamentable opposite. Ball’s choices span the whole of Ruskin’s writing life and, for that reason, are very much worth your time.
Bateman, M. A. and Grace Allen. A Ruskin Birthday Book. London: George Allen, 1883
A wonderful collection. Not really “selections” but, rather, “aphorisms,” extracted from throughout his works. One for every day of the year! (Marvelous for daily inspiration!) There is a story that, when the editors gave an early copy of their collection to Ruskin, he, convinced at the time that all his work had failed, was moved to tears. One can understand why, for the title page has been created with his deepest empathies in mind–surrounded by a gothic frame, the principal letters of the book’s title begin with beautiful medieval-style illuminated letters. At the bottom of the page the editors have included, as a frame for their entries, one of Ruskin’s finest quotes–from St. Mark’s Rest. It is emblematic of the 365 quotations on the interior (plus twelve longer passages to start each month!). I’ve reproduced the lines below.
Beever, Susanna. Frondes Agrestes: Readings in Modern Painters. London: George Allen, 1884.
A selection of her favorite passages taken from the five volumes of that remarkable series. One of the great friends of Ruskin’s life, Beever showed him her choices before publishing. He changed nothing, but, in various places, added his thoughts about the importance of this or that passage in a footnote. A delightful read.
Beever, Susanna. Hortus Inclusus: Messages from the Wood to the Garden . London: George Allen, 1887.
Bennett, G. R. The Ruskin Reader. London: J. M. Dent, n.d.
Benson, A. C. Selections from John Ruskin. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge Univ., 1927
One of the very best collections: from a reader who thoroughly understands his subject.
Birch, Dinah, ed. Ruskin: Selected Writings. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2009.
Birch, Dinah. Ruskin on Turner. London: Cassell, 1990.
A terrific collection, both for its erudition and its status as the only compendium that collects the best of Ruskin’s writings about the landscape painter he frequently called his “Earthly Master,” J. M. W. Turner, these being coupled with high quality reproductions of the Turner paintings or watercolors being discussed. A feast for mind and eye. Not to be missed, and still fairly plentiful on used book internet sites.
Bloom, Harold. The Literary Criticism of John Ruskin. Two editions: New York: Anchor Books, 1965; Gloucester, MA, 1969.
Indebted to Ball (above), but with two distinct advantages: Bloom selects much more from Ruskin’s writings after 1860, and, happily, includes footnotes with all choices, allowing modern readers to identify JR’s more arcane sources easily. Bloom was one of America’s foremost literary critics of the twentieth century and a life-long devotee of JR’s works. Not usual in the compendia genre, he provides a very fine, knowledgeable and nuanced, “Introduction.” Hardcover version very scarce, but paperback still easily available. One of the best on this list, especially if literature is your love.
Bragg, Melvyn. John Ruskin On Genius. London: Hesperus, 2011.
Cardwell, Mary E. Cameos from Ruskin. New York: Charles Merrill, 1890.
A jaunty little collection. More aphoristic even than the aphoristic Ruskin Birthday Book. Some of its entries, arranged under various heads–e.g., “Great Art Accepts Nature as She Is,” are a bit too brief for my taste, but others are perfectly apt and powerful.
Clark, Sir Kenneth. Ruskin Today. London: John Murray, 1967.
Sir Kenneth, host of the much applauded BBC TV series of the late 1960s, “Civilization” (still very much worth viewing; streaming on YouTube in the US), was a life-long admirer of Ruskin. This is a terrific collection of Ruskin “passages,” the second I ever read (in 1990; the first being John Rosenberg’s; see below); I recall being enthralled with each selection, realizing for the first time, as Sir Kenneth’s pages turned, that Ruskin was not just a great social critic (my original attraction), but a brilliant observer of almost everything that matters in life.
Clark, Thomas A. Ruskin Sketchbook. London: Coracle, 1879.
[Collingwood, W. G.] Selections from the Writings of John Ruskin: First Series: 1843-1861. London: George Allen, 1893.
[Collingwood, W. G.] Selections from the Writings of John Ruskin: Second Series: 1862-1888. London: George Allen, 1893.
Although the typically self-effacing Collingwood would not allow his name to be placed on these volumes, they are indeed his collations and, because his love and understanding of Ruskin and of what he was trying to accomplish, were without par, of all the compendia, these are most representative and, in my view, best.
[Collingwood, W. G.] The Ruskin Treasuries. London: George Allen, 1906.
A series of tiny books (each fits nicely in a shirt pocket or purse), all of which are dedicated to a central theme in Ruskin’s work. Edited by Collingwood (who again goes unnoticed in the role), they are quite marvelous, a goodly step above the aphoristic efforts noted above, but not as extended in entry length as the volumes containing “selections.” Very hard to find. Here are some titles: Ruskin on Liberty and Government; Ruskin on Religion; Ruskin on Wealth; Ruskin on Art.
Collingwood, W. G. The Ruskin Reader. London: George Allen, 1907.
A small collection of W. G. C.’s favorites, a distinction that makes them worth reading from the get-go. Also, for the only time, we have a collection to which he was willing to affix his name. Easy to carry when traveling.
Davis, Philip. John Ruskin: Selected Writings. London: Everyman, 1995.
Evans, Joan. The Lamp of Beauty. London: Phaidon, 1959.
Most of the compendia are, as books, unimposing; their casings plain, their colors pallid, even if, happily, inside, the prose entrances. As a book, Evans’ is the cream of the crop: artfully presented on the outside and laden with wonderful passages within, with, in attendance in many instances (one of the few instances in the compendia “world” where this happens), fine illustrations of the pictures or places Ruskin is describing. In short, an aesthetic as well as a literary gem.
Gardner, Rose. The Pocket Ruskin. London: Routledge, 1907.
One of my all-time favorites. Like Benson, Kenneth Clark, and the various Collingwoods, Gardner really knows her Ruskin. The choices are glorious.
Gibbs, Mary and Ellen. The Bible References of John Ruskin. London: George Allen, 1898.
As advertised. Ruskin was one of the world’s great Biblical scholars. As a result, references or allusions to this sacred text are found in virtually every one of his books, lectures, or essays, sometimes many at once! On more than a few occasions, he would reflect at some length on the deeper meaning of the Bible’s stories, themes, or principal arguments. This is a collection of such comments.
Ginn, Edward. Selections from Ruskin. Boston: Ginn Publishers, 1888.
Herbert, Robert L. The Art Criticism of John Ruskin. New York: Doubleday Anchor, 1964.
Hewetson, E. M. A Book of Ruskin. London and New York: Thomas Nelson, 1927.
A special member of the tribe. Hewetson takes a “biographical” approach, presenting his selections only after he has first given his reader a sampling of passages Ruskin wrote about his own life. The result is entrancing and, for anyone interested in seeing how Ruskin’s works reflected his passing decades, this is a good way to begin.
Hufford, Mrs. Lois G. Essays and Letters Selected from the Writings of John Ruskin. Boston: Ginn, 1894.
As described and very nice for that. A nice way to become familiar with a number of Ruskin’s most important works in one place. The editor has included both of the Sesame and Lilies lectures, three (of four) Unto this Last essays, the first six Fors Clavigera letters, and three parts of The Queen of the Air, each preceded by short and knowledgeable “introductions.” Another advantage is that, at the end of each essay or letter, she has included brief notes intended to help readers understand Ruskin’s (sometimes obscure) allusions. Given the date, she may have been the first editor to do this. Highly recommended.
Kennedy, William Sloane. Art: A Ruskin Anthology. John B. Alden, New York: 1886.
An odd little book. The editor knows JR’s writings on art thoroughly and his selections, all brief (rarely more than a few sentences in length) are taken from the full corpus of his books. These, for ease of comprehension, are arranged into sections like “Cardinal Tenets,” "Painting,” "Engraving," “Architecture,” and “Sculpture.” Read through attentively, the reader emerges with a modest sense of what Ruskin thought about such subjects; but it would be better, as oft noted in these capsule reviews, to read the originals, Modern Painters, The Seven Lamps of Architecture, etc. Worth picking up if you come across one, but not seeking out.
Osborn, Frederick. Selections, Moral and Religious from the Works of John Ruskin. Boston: Richard Badger, 1917.
Most editors of a compendium open with a short preface and, often, an introductory chapter covering Ruskin’s career, complete with an explanation explaining why he is so vital to read. Then, however thematically arranged their selected passages might be, the editors disappear, leaving their selections to speak for themselves. For contrast, Osborn makes substantive comments before or after his selections, placing all in a “modern” cultural context. A unique and valuable approach.
Perry, Bliss. Little Masterpieces: John Ruskin. Garden City, New York; Doubleday and Page, 1913.
Not really a compendium in the sense of most others on this list; rather a selection of famous passages or portions of chapters from Ruskin’s earlier works; all worthy of your time.
Porter, Rose. Nature Studies from Ruskin. Boston: Dana Estes, 1900.
This is a stupendous collection, a delight for anyone interested in Ruskin’s breath-taking descriptions of nature, of streams, flowers, clouds, moss, fields, mountains, and much more! The collection to immerse yourself in every year as spring comes around. As you read, and having read, look about, you will see nature in ways you never did before. A true and enduring delight.
Porter, Rose. Bits of Burnished Gold. New York: Randolph, 1888.
Exactly as described. Small (3.5″ x 4″). Short (128 pp.) A pocketbook before there were pocketbooks. Wonderful brief choices. Aphorisms to be sure, but aphorisms chosen not merely because they are Ruskin Profound, but because our editor has read him deeply and loves him as a result. If you can find it, not to be missed!
Quennell, Peter. Selected Writings of John Ruskin. London: Falcon, 1952.
*Rhys, Ernest. The Two Boyhoods and Other Selections on Life and Art by John Ruskin. 1914.
Quite different from the rest: many of the selections here are not to be found in other collations and all are presented more or less whole, so that the reader gets a good sense of what Ruskin wants his reader to think about. (For instance, Rhys includes many of Ruskin’s brief chapters on drawing, originally included in Ruskin’s The Elements of Drawing, in recognition of his subject’s argument that talking about drawing is one thing, which actually doing it is quite another! Another difference is that this editor (unlike many Ruskin collectors) has read all of JR’s poems, written early in his life, and has included, at appropriate points a number of these–example: his poems on Chamouni in the section where he reproduces Ruskin’s great paeans to mountains. A drawback (shared with other compilations): Rhys does not tell us where his lovely passages can be located in the original Ruskin works, but you can find them by typing a few unique words into your browser.
Roe, Frederick R. Selections and Essays by John Ruskin. New York: Scribner’s, 1918.
Rosenberg, John. The Genius of John Ruskin. New York: Columbia Univ., 1964.
Along with Van Akin Burd, Rosenberg was the scholar most responsible for reigniting the just barely smouldering embers of Ruskin’s reputation in the 1960s. This collection of longer passages — often entire lectures or chapters from books — was the first “Ruskin” I read, the book that showed me that, in Ruskin, I had at last found the moral sociologist for whom I had long been looking–included, for example, are three of Unto this Last’s four essays. It was the hunt for and discovery of the “missing” Unto this Last essay that led me to the “life of Ruskin” I’ve been enjoying ever since. Rosenberg’s respect for his subject is clearly evident in his title and remains evident in every selection and introduction. An essential collection. For anyone not enthused with devoting some dozens of hours to one of Ruskin’s four hundred page books, this is a fine starting point, because the selections—on nature, architecture, art, society—are drawn from all periods of Ruskin’s writing life.
Scudder, Vida. An Introduction to the Writings of John Ruskin. Boston: BIbley, 1890.
Another wonderful collection from one who thoroughly understood Ruskin and his work. Indeed, Scudder heard Ruskin lecture during his last teaching term at Oxford during the mid-1880s. It was that experience that made her into an advocate of his thought, and which, just a few years after her return to the US, led to this edition, a selection published while he still lived. Like Osburn and Rosenberg, Scudder writes most helpful “Introductions” for each of her themed sections. Not to be missed.
Sims, A. E. A Ruskin Calendar. New York: Crowell, 1911.
I haven’t delved into this one in any depth, but enough to know that it is of the “aphoristic” variety, its selections chosen with less knowledge of Ruskin than, say, The Ruskin Birthday Book.
Sinclair, William. Selections from the Writings of John Ruskin. Edinburgh: Nimmo, Hay, and Mitchell, 1907.
A collection which uses the same format and many of the same selections as Collingwood’s “First Series” (see above). Some of Sinclair’s selections are different, however. In addition, some are longer, some shorter, and, at the back, there’s a series of “Miscellaneous” passages not included in the Collingwood volume.
Tinker, Chauncey. Selections from the Works of John Ruskin. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1908.
Tuthill, Mrs. L. C. True and Beautiful. Boston: Merrill, 1854—and subsequent editions
One, if not the very first, of the compendia, consisting entirely of selections from Ruskin’s earliest writings: the five Modern Painters volumes, The Seven Lamps of Architecture, and The Stones of Venice. Tuthill’s book proved so successful, updated editions appeared over the course of ensuing decades.
Tuthill, Mrs. L. C. Precious Thoughts. New York: John Wiley, 1876.
A follow-up volume to the above, focusing on excerpts from Ruskin’s moral and religious writings (such having been largely–carefully?–omitted from the True and Beautiful volume. Again, the selections are fine, but, as in the True and Beautiful case, no sources are given.
Wakefield. A. M. Ruskin on Music. Sunnyside, Orpington: Geotgr Allen, 1894.<.p>
Ruskin always lamented that he never wrote anything systematic on music, That oversight, of course, hardly kept him from expressing his views on it. Hence, the attentive student of his works will find various references– usually short–giving his assessment of composers and compositions. Mozart receives a resounding “yes!” for having diven us “the laws of melody for all time!”); while his enthusiasm for Beethoven is mixed, and Wagner; garners a resounding “no!”. The editor of this rare volume has ferreted out a bevy of such comments and has presented same along with his own, often extended, commentaries, Useful are a series of chapters, including, “Ruskin, Music, and Education,” “Ruskin, Music, and Painting,” and, hardly surprisingly, “Ruskin, Music, and Morals.” Rewards many and always thought-provoking for the music-loving reader – if you can find it!
Wilmer, Clive, Unto this Last and Other Writings by John Ruskin. London and New York: Penguin, 1985.
It is hard to describe this collection properly. It has been one of my Ruskin “Bibles” since I first read it in the late 1980s. Indeed–given that it is only available in paperback (some years ago I had to have my own copy rebound so that I could keep reading!), Wilmer has presented us with the most essential-something very much still the case–selection of Ruskin’s sociological (what he would have called “political economic”) writings in print and has augmented each with detailed and impeccable interpretive notes that make Ruskin’s classical, Biblical, poetic, etc., allusions understandable – an illumining which makes the chosen essays come alive. Included are all four essays of Unto this Last; the famous “Nature of Gothic” chapter from The Stones of Venice; an early masterpiece of social criticism, “The Work of Iron”; two Fors Clavigera letters; his delightful (and only) children’s story, “The King of the Golden River”; and two more of Ruskin’s best lectures, “Traffic,” and the greatest talk ever given (I very much wish I could have been present for it) on the vital and moral importance of reading great literature, “Of Kings’ Treasuries.” Invaluable!
Wurtzberg, Caroline. Pen Pictures from Ruskin. 1901.
Wurtzberg, Caroline A. Readings in John Ruskin’s Fors Clavigera: 1871-1884. London: George Allen, 1899.
Like Dinah Birch’s Fors collection (see above), this selection – the first ever I believe – takes as its source Ruskin’s discursive, critical, instructive, brilliant letters, composed for and addressed to the workers and laborers of Great Britain in the 1870s and 1880s. The passages chosen all focus on his propositions for how we can create a more humane society, a place where we can live more harmoniously and joyously together. As a selection, it is far shorter, of course, than the original letters (which run close to 2000 pp.!) and, in this, is a good thing! On the other hand, as with all excerptings which purport to give us “the best” of the thoughts of writers of consummate genius, the originals are better. Ruskin, who made it clear on many occasions that he was neither communist nor Marxist (nor “Ruskinian!) decided to write the Fors letters because he had, by the early 1870s, given up all hope that the elites of his society would see it as their responsibility to alleviate the extensive and palpable suffering caused be the Industrial Revolution.
[No editor's name is supplied in the publications below.]
Master Painters: Titian: Selections from John Ruskin. Toronto: Mission Books, n.d.
Master Painters: Turner: Selections from John Ruskin. Toronto: Mission Books, n.d.
Pearls for Young Ladies. New York: W.W. Caldwell, 1898.
Although no editor is given for this volume, one suspects it must have been (Mrs.) L. C. Tuthill, whose other compendia have been noted – if only because her initials appear at the end of the brief “Introduction.” Although the title will have little appeal in the 21st century, the selections are able, and, read en toto give an accurate overview of Ruskin’s life-long conviction that men and women were two halves of the same coin, which each sex, having its own natural duties in life that complemented the strengths or weaknesses of the other. Many of his recommendations about these principal responsibilities will irritate the modern reader, but the selections’ ability to summarize in one volume his attempt to “engender gentleness” in all we that say and do still inspires. Recommended if you come across a copy. It also exists in a contemporary reprint of the original.
The Ruskin Treasuries. This is a lovely – and very rare – series. It was published in 1906 by George Allen who, at the time, was the nearly exclusive publisher of all Ruskin’s works. It was planned to include upwards of 20 very small volumes (about 2 inches wide by 3 inches tall and never exceeding 60 pages in lengt; each intended as a true “pocketbook,” a vulume which could fit, quite literally, in pocket or purse.). Each was centered on a certain theme in Ruskin’s work – e.g., “The Dignity of Man,” “Economy,” “Religion,” “Art.” No editor is specified, but whomever it was (one suspects Allen himself or E. T. Cook, then editing The Library Edition of the Works of John Ruskin with Alexander Wedderburn), was accomplished, someone who really knew his Ruskin and who chose from his oeuvre with care and perspicacity. Only about a dozen of the little volumes were printed, so if you ever come across any, my recommendation would be to not let the chance go by.
Last modified 20 June 2025