Celebrating the 200th anniversary of John Ruskin’s birth, this is an excellent time to rediscover the man who fought for the people who were condemned to horrific lives to power the industrial revolution, and fought through words and good deeds to establish galleries and libraries to feed the souls of the working population.
Ruskin’s passion to help the working person called for a minimum living wage, European trade agreements, nationalised transport and access to culture to feed their spirits. His drive to help those forced to work in the factories and mines was so strong he suffered a breakdown.
Finding peace in the Lake District
He believed he could recover it surrounded by nature and the Lake District. He bought Brantwood overlooking Coniston unseen and made this his home.
Today you can imagine him sitting at his desk, writing the 20 plus letters a day he was writing to promote the cause, working on his pamphlets and books. The rooms are human size, it feels like a home, which it was.
Incandescence: Turner in Venice
Ruskin was a great supporter of the arts, including English artist William Turner. When critics ridiculed Turner’s paintings in 1836, Ruskin came to his defence and so their relationship began.
First Turner exhibition at Brantwood
On Turner’s death in 1851, Ruskin was appointed one of his executors and set to work on the gargantuan task of cataloguing the 20,000 watercolours and drawings Turner bequeathed to the National Gallery. The bulk of Turner’s gift to the nation are today housed in the Clare Galleries of Tate Britain – and this first Turner exhibition at Brantwood brings back the painters paintings of Venice, which were so important to Ruskin.
Seeing these stunning paintings in such an intimate setting, the small room off the hallway of Ruskin’s home is a privilege.
The Piazzetta with the Ceremony of the Doge Marrying the Sea is the centre price of the Incandescence exhibition and is the first piece that greets your eyes as you enter the room. It is hung together with a suite of watercolours from Turner’s visit in 1840, the year in which Ruskin and Turner first met.
The paintings capture the passage of light across the hours of a single day.
These paintings were so influential to Ruskin, capturing the history, society, architecture, boats, sea and sky. It is said that Turner’s Venice became Ruskin’s Venice and Turner became one of the great shaping forces of Ruskin’s life.
This is a very special exhibition in the perfect location to share this story of how the lives of two of the most influential people of the mid 19th century were so intertwined.
Discovering more about Ruskin
The short video shown in the downstairs room is a great quick lesson in Ruskin the man, and what Brantwood and the landscape of the Lake District meant to him. It is an inspiring introduction and I wish I had bought one of his books from the shop. Here you can also buy secondhand books – making his work affordable for all.
His work is still a force for change today, with The Ruskin Museum of the Near Future at Lancaster University a living centre of continued research using Ruskin’s work. Working with visitors and scholars from across the world, the university continues to explore how Ruskin’s ideas can unlock the pressing cultural, social and environmental issues of today and tomorrow.
My return to Brantwood has inspired me to find out more, and I now plan to visit The Ruskin Museum of the Near Future soon – and borrow a book from the library (which I am sure he would approve of) to learn more about this great former Lake District resident.
After learning about this great man who found solace n the natural world, it is fitting to take a walk around the gardens he created. On the way up the steps to the garden you can take in another great exhibition by local artist Daniel Cooper in the beautiful arts and crafts inspired Severn Studio.
Daniel Cooper – Lake District artist exhibition
Reflections of Imagination: Observations from Brantwood & Coniston capture the drams of this very special place in the Lake District. Daniel was Brantwood Artist in residence in 2018 and you can see that influence in these beautiful landscapes.
As you leave the studio and follow the paths through the gardens there are vantage points to take in the wider landscape and fells, then turn into hidden woodland glens. The waterfalls are beautiful and feed the lake Ruskin designed himself.
With trails for children to enjoy exploring the home and gardens and a great coffee shop and restaurant, The Terrace, this is a full day out for all the family, all ages to enjoy. Check out our review of The Terrace for lunch.
This is a paradise to enjoy time and time again – and it will be a lot less than 20 years before I return.
Value for money 5/5
Admission to the house and gardens
- Adult £8.70
- Student £7.00
- Children Free
Admission to the gardens only
- Adult £6.20
- Student £5.00
- Children Free
For more information visit their www.brantwood.org.uk
