Protestant doctrines against which these two orders were especially instituted, might have on the German artists of the time

The two orders are the Franciscans and the Dominicans; the reference is clearly to the opposite page Notebook M2 p.14.

It is not entirely clear what Ruskin means by ‘Protestant doctrines’ here. For evidence of his public thinking at this time see Works, 9.44 and Works, 9.371 for Ruskin’s published views on the ‘formalism of the Papacy - the Papacy being entirely heathen in all its principles’ and its influence on architectural practice contrasted with the Protestantism of a cornice which has ‘true life in the whole of it’.

It is not entirely clear either what Ruskin has in mind when he refers to the Dominicans and the Franciscans, both of them dating from the early years of the 12th century, being ‘especially instituted’ to counter ‘Protestant doctrines’.

There is the possibility of a different perspective at Notebook M p.19 where Ruskin describes the tomb of San Pietro Martire in Milan; Murray’s Guide 1847, page 176 uses the tomb to make an anti-Catholic gibe; Ruskin does not.

[Version 0.05: May 2008]