“Study of a Peacock's Breast Feather” (1873) by John Ruskin

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Study of a Peacock's Breast Feather

John Ruskin

1873

Watercolour on paper

Mount: 420 x 297mm Support: 289 x 198 mm

Accession number: CGSG00046

Currently on show at Two Temple Place, London, at the "John Ruskin: The Power of Seeing" exhibition, which kindly supplied this image for the purpose of reviewing it.

This tiny close study manages to show a range of textures and colours, with the merged lines of the loose fluffy brown under-feathers at the base of the quill giving way to a perfectly symmetrical fan shape, of iridescent turquoise and sky-blue feather-filaments. These taper almost to transparency. [Commentary continues below.]

Caption material from the Museums Sheffield website; text and formatting by Jacqueline Banerjee. [Click on the image to enlarge it, and mouse over the text for links.]

Ruskin's fascination with birds can be seen in his very close description of the robin in Love's Meinie — where he mentions the peacock as one of the more "decorative" birds, pointing out, however, that a similar gradation occurs in the feathers of both (35). Evidently, the more closely Ruskin looked, the more he saw — and the more he helps us to see, too.

Related Material

Bibliography

Ruskin, John. Love's Meinie: Lectures on Greek and English Birds Vol. I Keston, Kent: G. Allen, 1873. Internet Archive. Contributed by University of California Libraries. Web. 10 February 2019.

"Study of a Peacock's Breast Feather." Museums Sheffield. Web. 10 February 2019.

Created 9 February 2019