Twenty Trees Books

Follow us on Facebook for updates:

See Home Page for details ... or click on the images to go to Amazon

Biography of John Ruskin 1819-1900

In 1818 [his father] John James Ruskin (age 33) and [his mother] Margaret Cock (age 37) were married.

On 08 Feb 1819 John Ruskin was born to John James Ruskin (age 34) and Margaret Cock (age 38) at 54 Hunter Street, Brunswick Square.

On 10 Apr 1848 John Ruskin (age 29) and Euphemia "Effie" Gray Lady Millais (age 19) were married at Kinnoull Parish Church.

1851. Thomas Richmond (age 49). Portrait of John Ruskin (age 31).

1852 to 1853. John Everett Millais 1st Baronet (age 22). Portrait of John Ruskin (age 32).

The Diary of George Price Boyce 1854. 21 Apr 1854. Ruskin (age 35) and his father called. They admired Rossetti's (age 25) drawings much, especially the Dante and Beatrice one. They praised also the Welsh sunset study I have promised Dante Rossetti, the study of the twisted birch tree, and Ruskin commended the portrait of Miss Nicholl in hat and feather. On my expressing my liking for after sunset and twilight effects, he said I must not be led away by them, as on account of the little light requisite for them, they were easier of realisation than sun-light effects. He was very friendly and pleasant and encouraging in manner, and showed no conceit, grandeur, or patronising mien. A most delightful feeling seemed to exist between himself and father. He said he would be glad to call again and see my drawings.

On 15 Jul 1854 the marriage of John Ruskin (age 35) and Euphemia "Effie" Gray Lady Millais (age 26) annulled by the Commissary Court of Surrey on the grounds of John Ruskin being "incapable of consummating the same [marriage] by reason of incurable impotency".

On 30 Jul 1854 the Session Kinnoull Parish Church agreed that the "proper steps be taken to notice in the Sessions Records of Kinnoul that the following entry of marriage on Page 64 of the Records of Proclamations viz "John Ruskin (age 35) of Denmark Hill London and [his former wife] Euphemia Chalmers Gray (age 26) in this Parish were proclaimed and married on the 10 day of April 1848 by the Revd John Edward Touch Minister of Kinnoul" had been declared null and void by the Commissary Court of Surrey" in a suit promoted by the said Euphemia Chalmers Gray".

The Diary of George Price Boyce 1854. 09 Dec 1854. Dec. 9. To Architectural Museum, Cannon Row. Ruskin (age 35) gave an excellent lecture on colour to a crowded audience. After the lecture I spoke to him and he immediately asked when he might come and see Iny drawings, I said in about a fortnight. He said, "Not before? Pray don't go and botch them in the studio." Hoped I was a confirmed Pre-Raphaelite, etc.

In Apr 1855 John Ruskin (age 36) proposed to Dante Gabriel Rossetti (age 26) that he do a series of seven pictures illustrating the Purgatorio of which Rossetti executed two: Dante's Vision of Rachel and Leah and Dante's Vision of Matilda Gathering Flowers.

On 03 Jul 1855 John Everett Millais 1st Baronet (age 26) and [his former wife] Euphemia "Effie" Gray Lady Millais (age 27) were married at Kinnoull Parish Church.

The Diary of George Price Boyce 1855-1857. 27 Jun 1857. To P.R.B. Exhibition in Russell Place .... I found my little "Sunset" sketch in North Wales mounted in a preposterously wide gilt flat, whereas I had left it in my room mounted on white paper. A lot of the foreground is covered by the mount which completely spoils the sketch and looks ridiculously pretentious besides. Saw (at Hogarth's) a rather clever caricature-etching founded on Millais' "Dream of the Past" picture, to which the outlines were pretty strictly kept to. Millais (age 28) himself is the old Knight, Rossetti (age 29) the girl in front, Holman Hunt (age 30) the child behind. Ruskin (age 38) the ass on which they are riding and which is by far the best thing in the etching in every respect.

The Diary of George Price Boyce 1855-1857. 30 Jun 1857. Wm. Rossetti (age 27) told me that Roughskin (age 38) had married his wife [[his former wife] Euphemia "Effie" Gray Lady Millais (age 29)] when she was very ill ....

The Diary of George Price Boyce 1855-1857. 19 Nov 1857. Adjourned to Millais' (age 28) house, just taken, No. 16 York Terrace, at about 4, and not finding him in waited and had a long and very pleasant chat with his wife [[his former wife] Euphemia "Effie" Gray Lady Millais (age 29)], who has a lovely and passionate face, and whose manner is particularly engaging and ladylike withal. At her request, and afterwards backed by Millais, stayed to dinner, after which she left and I had a long chat on divers subjects with him. He spoke about Ruskin (age 38), whom he thinks desperately ill off, and of the portrait he painted of him in Scotland, which he thought the finest thing in the way of portraiture he had yet done, and said he wanted it for the exhibition (R.A). He seemed astonished when I told him I had seen it in Ruskin's bedroom?

The Diary of George Price Boyce 1855-1857. 21 Dec 1857. Ruskin (age 38) came and stayed an hour. He seemed a good deal taken with several of my Giornico drawings and one of the Venice tomb drawings, and said I should apply myself earnestly to drawing with the point, should put more detail in my drawings; give distinction to distant parts by quantity of mysterious detail. He said he should come again.

On 21 Oct 1861 Philip Burne-Jones 2nd Baronet was born to Edward Coley Burne-Jones 1st Baronet (age 28) and Georgiana Macdonald Lady Burne-Jones (age 21). He was baptised at Manchester Cathedral [Map] with his godfathers, by proxy, being John Ruskin (age 42) and Dante Gabriel Rossetti (age 33). See Memorials of Edward Burne-Jones.

On 03 Mar 1864 [his father] John James Ruskin (age 79) died. He was buried in the churchyard of St John the Evangelist Church, Shirley.

In 1871 [his mother] Margaret Cock (age 90) died.

In 1878 James Anderson Rose (age 58) represented James Abbott McNeill Whistler (age 43) in his libel trial against John Ruskin (age 58) for having described his painting Nocturne in Black and Gold: The Falling Rocket as "flinging a pot of paint in the public's face". Whistler won the case and was awarded one farthing, the smallest coin, to Whistler. The court costs were divided between the two. Ruskin's were paid for by a public subscription organised by the Fine Art Society. Whistler was declared bankrupt.

1894. Frederick Hollyer (age 55). Photograph of John Ruskin (age 74).

On 23 Dec 1897 [his former wife] Euphemia "Effie" Gray Lady Millais (age 69) died at Bowerswell. She was buried at Kinnoull Parish Church next to her son George Millais.

On 20 Jan 1900 John Ruskin (age 80) died.