Numbered Sheets

Ruskin generally refers to notes and drawings on a separate numbered sheet of paper (of a larger format) as a ‘sheet’ or ‘paper’. The term ‘worksheet’ was introduced by Hewison (1978). E. T. Cook in his introduction at Works, 9.li refers to an example as being carried out on a ‘sheet’ and to ‘MS sheet’.

The Sheets held in the Ruskin Foundation Collection at Lancaster were sold at Sothebys on 24th July 1930, Lot 115 (No 9) ‘Over 250 Sketches, Plans, diagrams, etc. in pen-and-ink and wash, all with notes more or less full, about half mounted on cards, folio.’ Purchased by J. H. Whitehouse (see Woolford (1972) pp.193-246).

The transcriptions are of the numbered Sheets held in the Ruskin Library (Box RL 1636). Other Sheets are given their individual library number.

Each numbered Sheet (or part sheet) in the collection is included with a digital image. There are three exceptions:

Ruskin’s working process

The particular notebook and page location providing evidence of Ruskin’s use of M and M2 in his discussion of the Sheets is indicated where possible. He began reference to the Sheets or work on ‘paper’ with Notebook M beginning with No.1 and continuing to No.136 missing out discussion of No.35. Ruskin appears to have used whichever of the two notebooks came to hand. He began to use M2 for Sheet No. 115 and then No.136 (which appears in both notebooks) carrying on until he reached No.139. Ruskin then returned to M for No.140, 141, 142 and 143. Sheets 144, 145 and 146 are not referred to in either notebook. The Sheets numbered 147 to 154 are discussed in M2 whilst he returned to M for Numbers 155 to 162 (omitting No.156 and 157 from both notebooks). Sheets 163 to 169 are not discussed and Ruskin returns to the M notebook for Numbers 170 to 174 (172 and 174 are referred to in both). Notebook M2 is utilised again for Sheets 175 to 195, Sheet No. 195 [n/a] being the last to be discussed in the sequence, although this runs on until No.207.

Bibliography for this note:

Venice Locations from Nadali, G. P., and R. Vianello Calli, Campielli e Canali, Guida Di Venezia e Delle Sue Isole, Edizioni Helvetia, Fourth Edition, 1999. The notes include locations within the ‘Sestieri’of Venice: Castello, S.Marco, Cannaregio, S. Croce, S. Polo, Dorsoduro and also the islands of Murano, Torcello. This invaluable publication includes maps with ‘Tav’ numbers. For e.g.The Palazzo Dandolo-Farsetti would be located as: (S. Marco 4136, Nadali & Vianello (1999) Tav. 29) Campielli can be given as follows: eg for Campiello S. Zulien (S. Marco 599-605, Nadali & Vianello (1999) Tav.30).

Transcriptions for sheets in bold are present in this edition. The brief information provided on each Sheet following the Sheet number is drawn firstly from the Sheet itself (where possible) and secondly from information written by Ruskin in the M and M2 notebooks.

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[Version 0.05: May 2008]