Love and Justice: John Ruskin's Theory and Practice of Charity This
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Love and Justice: John Ruskin’s Theory and Practice of Charity This thesis submitted for the degree of Master of Philosophy at the University of Leicester by Mai Tsumura MA School of English University of Leicester 2021 2 Abstract Love and Justice: John Ruskin’s Theory and Practice of Charity Mai Tsumura John Ruskin was a philanthropist as well as a critic, both activities informed by strong moral principles. Ruskin’s charity was extensive in its form and type of beneficiaries, ranging from donations of material objects, such as drawings and mineral specimens, to schools to financial support for his pupils and friends. Ruskin scholarship has presented many different aspects of Ruskin’s charitable mind and practice, yet his practice is nonetheless always treated as a partial aspect of the life of the polymath. This thesis takes Ruskin’s charity as its research focus and aims to draw an integrated and broader picture of his particular approach to charity through an investigation of the ideas, motives and dynamism of his activities. It also hopes to depict Ruskin’s complexity and fluidity in his approach to charity, emotions and human relationships. The thesis uses several methods to achieve its objectives. First of all, Ruskin’s primary texts are analyzed in order to dig more deeply into his theoretical understanding of charity. These are contextualized against his religious and family background, to show how both underpin the shaping and reshaping of his ideas. Subsequent chapters then take the form of case studies, to explore Ruskin’s application of theory to practice. Each case-study casts a light on different periods, modes and interests of Ruskin’s life, for example, by analyzing letters exchanged between him and his beneficiaries, which vividly illustrates the dynamism of Ruskin’s charitable practice and relationships. In so doing, this thesis will advance our understanding of Ruskin’s theory and practice of charity in a long history from the nineteenth century through to the present day: Ruskinian charitable enterprises are now flourishing worldwide, within and outside the UK, as Ruskin’s legacy. 3 Acknowledgements First and foremost, I would like to thank my supervisor, Dr. Felicity James, for her tremendous support throughout my writing of this thesis. Whenever I asked for advice, she kindly provided me with her invaluable suggestions and insights, and consistently guided me in a right direction with encouragement. I would also like to thank the researchers and staffs of the University of Leicester. The Doctoral College and University Library provided me with innumerable helpful advice. The professors and researchers of the Victorian Studies supported me by inviting me to reading groups and seminars. I am particularly grateful to my fellow researcher, Emma Probett, for her caring and encouraging me to present my research at UoL Victorianism. This research would not have been able to set out without the scholarship from Rotary International Foundation. Therefore, I would like to thank Rotary Club of Leicester Novus, Rotary Club of Nishinomiya Ebisu, and District 2680 for their continuous support during my study at the University of Leicester. I sincerely appreciate The Ruskin Library, Museum & Research Centre, Lancaster University, enabling me to deepen my understanding of the Ruskins’ charity through the archived materials. My gratitude also goes to the members of the Guild of St. George, who welcomed me on many occasions including the Annual General Meeting and conferences in 2019. Lastly, I warmly thank my family for their support and care from thousands of miles away. 4 Contents Textual Notes and Abbreviations ......................................................................... 6 Introduction........................................................................................................ 8 Historical and family context of Ruskin’s charity ................................................. 8 Ruskin scholarship and charity ......................................................................... 10 Chapter outline ............................................................................................... 13 Chapter 1: Ruskin’s Concept of Charity ............................................................ 17 Charity as Christian love .................................................................................. 20 Charity as justice and patriarchal duty ............................................................... 26 Ruskin’s ambivalent and reforming approach to existing charity .......................... 31 Practical proposals of charity as a “guidance” .................................................... 38 Conclusion ..................................................................................................... 42 Chapter 2: Charity and Work – the Case of Octavia Hill ................................... 44 Background: Ruskin and art of illumination in the 1850s ..................................... 49 Ruskin’s charity for Hill: love, justice and ambivalence ...................................... 52 Moral sentiments exchanged in charity .............................................................. 58 5 Gendered approach to charity ........................................................................... 64 Conclusion ..................................................................................................... 72 Chapter 3: Charity and Education – the Case of Winnington Hall School .......... 74 Ruskin’s motives for charity and emotional background ...................................... 80 “Art of spending” and a just way of charity ........................................................ 86 Fatherly charity for pupils and cultural philanthropy ........................................... 92 Conclusion ................................................................................................... 107 Chapter 4: The Integrity of Charity in the Guild of St. George ......................... 109 Ruskin and St. George’s Museum ................................................................... 113 Reinterpreting the Museum as an educational “national store” ........................ 115 Ruskin as a collector/curator and a Master .................................................... 125 Ruskin and the Woollen industry: his Mastership and Companion ...................... 128 Ruskin’s relationship with Egbert Rydings ................................................... 130 The web of relations in the Guild society ..................................................... 135 Conclusion ................................................................................................... 138 Conclusion ...................................................................................................... 140 Works Cited/Consulted ................................................................................... 148 6 Textual Notes and Abbreviations Italics in a quotation are assumed to be in the original unless otherwise mentioned. All quotations from Ruskin’s works, unless stated otherwise, refer to The Library Edition of the Works of John Ruskin, edited by E. T. Cook and Alexander Wedderburn, Allen, 1903-1912, 39 vols, and are cited as volume and page number only: for example, (7: 205). The works cited in this thesis are separately listed from the other sources in the Works Cited/Consulted. Introductions to each volume by Edward Tyas Cook are cited as volume and page number only: for example, (30: xxi). The introductions quoted in this thesis are listed in “other sources” section, under his name, in the Works Cited/Consulted. The archived materials of Ruskin Library, Lancaster University, are cited as series and number only: for example, (MS 28). BD: Ruskin, John. The Brantwood Diary of John Ruskin. Edited by Helen Gill Viljoen, Yale UP, 1971. Diaries: Ruskin, John. The Diaries of John Ruskin. Edited by Joan Evans and J. Howard Whitehouse, Clarendon P, 1956-59. 3vols. ERL: “Ruskin and Egbert Rydings: Letters.” Mannin: A Journal of Matters Past and Present Relating to Mann, edited by Sophia Morrison, vol. 2, no. 3, Manx Society, May 1914, p. 165. FL: The Ruskin Family Letters: the Correspondence of John James Ruskin, His Wife, and Their Son, John. Edited by Van Akin Burd, Cornell UP, 1973. 2 vols 7 LOH: Life of Octavia Hill. Edited by Emily S. Maurice, MacMillan, 1913. OH: Octavia Hill: Early Ideals. Edited by Emily S. Maurice, George Allen, 1928. RL: “Ruskin - Rydings Letters.” Mannin: A Journal of Matters Past and Present Relating to Mann, edited by Sophia Morrison, vol. 2, no. 7, Manx Society, May 1916, p. 407. Ward: John Ruskin’s Letters to William Ward. Short biography by William C. Ward and introduction by Alfred Mansfield Brooks, Marshall Jones, 1922. WL: The Winnington Letters: John Ruskin’s Correspondence with Margaret Alexis Bell and the Children at Winnington Hall. Edited by Van Akin Burd, George Allen, 1969. 8 Introduction In 2019, two exhibitions celebrated the year of John Ruskin’s bicentenary, one at Two Temple Place in London and the other at the Millennium Gallery of Museums Sheffield. Both beautifully showcased Ruskin’s lifelong efforts in improving the arts, education, economy and environment of the nineteenth century. Such efforts were made not only through his writings and public lectures, but through his donations of collections such as those now displayed at the Millennium Gallery, his teachings, as well as his financial support for workers, schools and societies.