John Ruskin: Art & Wonder is rooted in Ruskin’s fascination with the marvels of the natural world.

Part of international celebrations taking place throughout 2019 to mark 200 years of the influential artist, critic and scholar, this new exhibition explores how Ruskin championed the joy that nature can bring to our lives and the sense of awe it can evoke within us.

Ruskin’s passion for nature began in childhood with a fascination for minerals and mountains. Later in life he wrote at length about geology, botany and zoology, explaining how the study of natural history was central to his thinking around both art and architecture. Ruskin believed an understanding of the natural world enriches our lives in many ways; for him, appreciating its beauty was just as valuable as any scientific knowledge. 

Art & Wonder celebrates how artists have captured the incredible spectacle of nature. Discover dazzling highlights from the Guild of St George’s Ruskin Collection, including botanical and ornithological studies and jewel-like mineral specimens, alongside significant national loans and new commissions by contemporary artists Timorous Beasties and Dan Holdsworth.

Find out more about the Ruskin bicentenary celebrations taking place throughout 2019 at ruskin200.com

In partnership with:

John Ruskin: Art & Wonder has been made possible thanks to the generous support of the Foyle Foundation, the Garfield Weston Foundation, the James Neill Trust Fund, the J.G. Graves Trust, the Sheffeld Church Burgesses Trust and the Sheffeld Town Trust.

Sponsored by:

John Ruskin, Study of Spray of Dead Oak Leaves, 1879, Collection of Guild of St George, Museums Sheffield 

J.M.W.Turner, Ben Arthur from 'Liber Studiourm' 1819, Collection of the Guild of St George, Museum Sheffield 

Dan Holdsworth, Acceleration Structures, 2018. Courtesy the artist.