Quote

The entire vitality of art depends upon its being either full of truth, or full of use and that, however pleasant, wonderful, or impressive it may be in itself, it must yet be of inferior kind, and tend to deeper inferiority, unless it has clearly one of these main objects, either to state a true thing, or to adorn a serviceable one.

John Ruskin

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John Ruskin
Age: 80 †
Born: 1819
Born: February 8
Died: 1900
Died: January 20
Aesthetician
Architect
Art Critic
Art Historian
Journalist
Literary Critic
Painter
Philosopher
Poet
Sociologist
University Teacher
Writer
London
England
Kata Phusin
Rŏsŭkʻin
J. Ruskin
John Rosukin
Jon Rasukin
Dzhon Rëskin
Ruskin
Must
State
Entire
Inferiors
Thing
Upon
However
Vitality
Kind
Use
Objects
Impressive
Art
Depends
Pleasant
True
Unless
Main
Serviceable
Truth
Either
Clearly
Adorn
States
Full
Tend
Inferiority
May
Wonderful
Deeper
Inferior

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To banish imperfection is to destroy expression, to check exertion, to paralyze vitality.
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Greatness is not a teachable nor gainable thing, but the expression of the mind of a God-made great man.
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Many thoughts are so dependent upon the language in which they are clothed that they would lose half their beauty if otherwise expressed.
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In mortals there is a care for trifles which proceeds from love and conscience, and is most holy and a care for trifles which comes of idleness and frivolity, and is most base. And so, also, there is a gravity proceeding from thought, which is most noble and a gravity proceeding from dulness and mere incapability of enjoyment, which is most base.
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An infinitude of tenderness is the chief gift and inheritance of all truly great men.
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The wisest men are wise to the full in death.
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Better a child should be ignorant of a thousand truths than have consecrated in its heart a single lie.
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All the other passions do occasional good, but whenever pride puts in its word, everything goes wrong, and what it might really be desirable to do, quietly and innocently, it is mortally dangerous to do, proudly.
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To yield reverence to another, to hold ourselves and our lives at his disposal, is not slavery often, it is the noblest state in which a man can live in this world.
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All true opinions are living, and show their life by being capable of nourishment therefore of change. But their change is that of a tree not of a cloud.
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Expression, sentiment, truth to nature, are essential: but all those are not enough. I never care to look at a picture again, if it be ill composed and if well composed I can hardly leave off looking at it.
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Which of us?is to do the hard and dirty work for the restand for what pay? Who is to do the pleasant and clean work, and for what pay?
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Freedom is only granted us that obedience may be more perfect.
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It is in this power of saying everything, and yet saying nothing too plainly, that the perfection of art consists.
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Modern education has devoted itself to the teaching of impudence, and then we complain that we can no longer control our mobs.
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We may live without her, and worship without her, but we cannot remember without her. How cold is all history, how lifeless all imagery, compared to that which the living nation writes, and the uncorrupted marble bears!
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In one point of view, Gothic is not only the best, but the only rational architecture, as being that which can fit itself most easily to all services, vulgar or noble.
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Greater completion marks the progress of art, absolute completion usually its decline.
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In painting as in eloquence, the greater your strength, the quieter your manner.
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Give an earnest-hearted, devoted girl any true work that will make her active in the dawn, and weary at night, with the consciousness that her fellow-creatures have indeed been the better for her day, and the powerless sorrow of her enthusiasm will transform itself into a majesty of radiant and beneficent peace.
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