John Ruskin

British critic. Born into a wealthy wine merchant's family in London. He accompanied his father to the European continent, where he was blessed with the opportunity to encounter beautiful landscapes and excellent art and architecture, which determined his future. Graduated from Oxford University. His major work was "Modern Painters" (5 volumes, 1843-60), which he began writing in 1842 to defend Turner's work at the Royal Academy, which had been attacked by the public. It was an ironic twist of fate that, although he was an acquaintance of Turner and the Pre-Raphaelite movement, he attacked Whistler's work in 1877, was charged with libel, and lost his authority in the art world. During this time, he turned his attention to European architecture, such as "The Seven Lamps of Architecture" (1849) and "The Stones of Venice" (3 volumes, 1851-53), and showed an interest in the lives of the workers who supported the foundations of architecture, and wrote prolifically about social, economic, and political issues from a practical standpoint. "To This Last One" (1862) is a representative work in this field.

[Yuichi Maekawa]

"Modern Painters" translated by Torajiro Sawamura and Masao Ishii (1940, Kobundo) "Even the Last One" translated by Ichiro Iizuka (included in "41 World Masterpieces" 1971, Chuokoron-Shinsha)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

イギリスの批評家。ロンドンの富裕なぶどう酒商の家に生まれる。父についてヨーロッパ大陸を訪ね、美しい風景や優れた美術、建築に接する機会に恵まれたことが彼の将来を決定した。オックスフォード大学を卒業。1842年王立美術院のターナーの作品が世評の攻撃を浴びたのを弁護する目的で書き始めた『近代画家論』5巻（1843～60）が彼の主著となった。ターナーやラファエル前派運動の理解者であった彼が、1877年のホイッスラーの作品を今度は攻撃して名誉毀損(きそん)の罪に問われ、美術界での権威を失ったのは運命の皮肉であった。その間『建築の七灯』（1849）、『ベニスの石』3巻（1851～53）などヨーロッパ建築に目を向けた彼は、それらの基礎を支える労働者の生活に関心を示し、実践的立場からの社会、経済、政治問題にも健筆を振るった。『この最後の者にも』（1862）はその方面での代表作。

［前川祐一］

『沢村寅二郎・石井正雄訳『近代画家論』（1940・弘文堂）』▽『飯塚一郎訳『この最後の者にも』（『世界の名著41』所収・1971・中央公論社）』

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