The Towers of Fribourg, Switzerland
Date1856
Artist
John Ruskin
(English architectural critic and author, 1819–1900)
MediumPen, black ink, and watercolor over graphite heightened with white on blue paper
Dimensionssheet: 14 5/8 × 9 5/8 in. (37.1 × 24.4 cm)
frame: 22 3/8 × 17 in. (56.8 × 43.2 cm)
frame: 22 3/8 × 17 in. (56.8 × 43.2 cm)
Credit LineF. V. du Pont Acquisition Fund, 2018
Object number2018-8
On View
Not on viewCollections
ClassificationsDRAWING
Label TextIn John Ruskin’s art criticism he wrote of the importance of close observation, advice which resonated with the young painters of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. Fribourg was one of Ruskin’s favorite towns in Switzerland. He visited on several occasions, staying for several weeks in 1854, when this drawing must have been made. It illustrates Ruskin’s ability to capture both precise detail and vivid impression.
