WMR retrospective of Ruskin

Rossetti comments on Ruskin's influence.

Rossetti, William M. "The Influence of Ruskin." The Bookman 35.205 (1908): 26. Web. 21 Sept. 2011.

The question is asked of Rossetti among a group of fourteen authors, artists and social workers, "Has the influence of Ruskin, in art, literature, and social politics increased or decreased in the eight years that have passed since his death? The answers are varied among the commentators.

Rossetti answers briefly, methodically and with equanimity. He points out that Ruskin revised his ideas over his lifetime, which blunts some of the criticism of Ruskin by some of the other commentators. Ruskin's intentions were always good, according to Rossetti, but he often went astray. On matters of social work, Rossetti states that although he considers himself a socialist, he is unfamiliar with Ruskin's writings in that area. He finds Ruskin to be a "great writer" who often rambled nonetheless. In art, Rossetti claims that Ruskin overthrew many commonly held ideas about art and that his influence remains, although the public has likely forgotten the details of his early writing. As a literary critic, Rossetti finds that Ruskin did "great service" to Dante, but his service to Wordsworth was "more transitory."

"As to his express criticisms, I think he often went astray . . ;" "In fact (as we all know) his mental processes were not always under his own control."