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Dimensions: one 10 by 12 cm., 4 by 4 3/4 in., the other 9 by 6.5 cm., 3 1/2 by 2 1/2 in.

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Provenance: Mrs E.M.Gordon, her Executor's sale at Christie's, 8th July 1986, lot 42 (part of)

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Notes: Ruskin believed very strongly that everybody could learn drawing and that they could be taught to appreciate the great works of nature and of art. It was with this belief that he wrote the Elements of Drawing in 1856. These were written as three letters addressed to the amateur artist - the first was devoted to the correct use of the point and brush, in the second hints were given for sketching from nature and in the last the laws of colour and composition were discussed. The illustrations for the book were characteristic sketches by the author. The present works were used to illustrate Ruskin's second letter describing how to sketch from nature.

Drawings such as these were reproduced as woodcuts for Elements of Drawing by Miss Byfield. Her work for Ruskin was acknowledged by him in the Preface to Volume II of Modern Painters 'The two woodcuts...are...admirably cut by Miss Byfield. I use this word 'admirably', not with reference to mere delicacy of execution, which can usually be had for money, but to the perfect fidelity of facsimile, which is in general not to be had for money, and by which Miss Byfield has saved me all the trouble with respect to the numerous woodcuts in the fourth volume; first, by her excellent renderings of various portions of Albert Durer's woodcuts; and secondly by reproducing, to the last dot or scratch, my own pen diagrams, drawn in general so roughly that few wood engravers would have condescended to cut them with ease, and yet always involving some points in which care was indispensable' (see E.T.Cook and A.Wedderburn, The Works of John Ruskin, 1904, volume V, p.12).