Self Portrait 1875

This is a self-portrait in watercolour by John Ruskin, made at an unknown date. Watercolour is a famously difficult medium, unforgiving because it is so transparent. Each layer subtly alters those beneath it. Ruskin was a master of the medium, deploying it for geological studies as well as landscapes and portraits. Looking closely, you can see the sureness of his hand in the way he has captured the nuances of his own face. The way he lets the washes bleed together is crucial, giving the portrait a sense of fleeting presence. The image feels less like a fixed likeness, more like an impression of a person caught in time. Ruskin would have used the finest sable brushes and paper, but it's worth noting the inherent democracy of watercolour – it’s a technology that scales up and down the social ladder, available to amateur enthusiasts and leading artists alike. Ruskin’s mastery of watercolour reminds us to look closely at all art forms, valuing both the skill involved and the social contexts that give them meaning.