Ruskin School of Art

{{Short description|Art school at the University of Oxford, England}} {{Redirect|The Ruskin||Ruskin (disambiguation)#Institutions{{!}}Ruskin § Institutions}} {{More citations needed|date=April 2023}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2015}} {{Use British English|date=August 2015}} {{Infobox Laboratory | name = Ruskin School of Art | image = Oxford HighSt 74.jpg | caption = Ruskin School of Art | coordinates = {{coord|51|45|09|N|1|15|02|W|type:edu_region:GB|display=title,inline}} | location_map = Oxford (central) | city = Oxford | state = Oxfordshire | country = England, United Kingdom | operating_agency = University of Oxford | website = {{URL|https://www.rsa.ox.ac.uk/}} |former_name=The Ruskin School of Drawing|established=1871}} The '''Ruskin School of Art''' ('''RSA''') is the academic department for fine arts at the Humanities Division at the University of Oxford in Oxford, England, United Kingdom.<ref name="hibbert">{{cite book | title=The Encyclopaedia of Oxford | publisher=Macmillan | chapter=Ruskin School of Drawing & Fine Art | year=1988 | page=369 | isbn=0-333-39917-X | editor-last=Hibbert |editor-first=Christopher |editor-link=Christopher Hibbert }}</ref>

==History== The Ruskin School of Art grew out the Oxford School of Art, which was founded in 1865 and later became Oxford Brookes University.<ref>{{cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Oxford Brookes University / History|url=https://www.brookes.ac.uk/about-brookes/history/|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=|website=Oxford Brookes University}}</ref> It was headed by Alexander Macdonald and housed in the University Galleries (subsequently the Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology).<ref name="Bodleian">Bodleian Library, [https://www.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0017/212075/Ruskin-School-RS.pdf Ruskin School of Drawing and Fine Art].</ref>

In 1869 John Ruskin was appointed Slade Professor of Fine Art at Oxford. Critical of the teaching methods at the Oxford School of Art, he set out to found the '''Ruskin School of Drawing''' in 1871 in the same, but restructured, premises. Macdonald was retained as its Head and became, therefore, the first ''Ruskin Master'' until his death in 1921.<ref name="Bodleian" /><ref>Royal Academy, RA Collection: People and Organisations, [https://www.royalacademy.org.uk/art-artists/name/alexander-macdonald Alexander MacDonald].</ref><ref name="RSA" />

The Slade School of Fine Art relocated to the Ruskin for the duration of the Second World War.{{citation needed|date=March 2021}}

It was renamed Ruskin School of Drawing and Fine Art in 1945, and later Ruskin School of Art in 2014.{{citation needed|date=March 2021}} Ruskin School of Art remained at the Ashmolean until 1975 when it moved to 74 High Street. In October 2015, the Ruskin opened a second Fine Art building in East Oxford, at 128 Bullingdon Road, on the site of a former warehouse and annexe. Designed by Spratley Studios Architects, the building houses purpose-built art-facilities and studios, and won a RIBA award in 2015. The Ruskin now operates across both sites.<ref>[https://mycouncil.oxford.gov.uk/documents/s15797/128%20Bullingdon%20Road%2013%2002107%20FUL.pdf Bullingdon road] oxford.gov.uk {{dead link|date=September 2023}}</ref> ==Education== The School was originally founded to encourage artisanship and technical skills. It now provides undergraduate and postgraduate qualifications in the production and study of visual art. The subject is taught as a living element of contemporary culture with a broad range of historical and theoretical references.<ref name="RSA">{{cite web| url=http://www.rsa.ox.ac.uk/about | title=Ruskin School of Drawing & Fine Art | publisher=University of Oxford | access-date=21 August 2012 }}</ref> The Ruskin remains at the top of the league tables among art schools in the UK, and was top of its category in the 2021 REF (Research Excellence Framework) exercise.

==Ruskin Masters== The School was traditionally headed by an appointed ''Ruskin Master''. Richard Wentworth was the last to hold this position (2002–2010).<ref name="Ina Cole">{{cite book |editor1-last=Cole |editor-first1=Ina |title=“From the Sculptor’s Studio”, conversation with Richard Wentworth, held in 2015 and 2019 |year=2021 |publisher=Laurence King Publishing Ltd |page=232-243|isbn=9781913947590 |oclc=1420954826}}</ref><ref name="RSA" /> The School now benefits from rotating the post of Head of School amongst current faculty members. At present, the role is with Professor Ian Kiaer, while previous Heads of School have included Professors Michael Archer, Jason Gaiger, Hanneke Grootenboer, Brian Catling, Anthony Gardner and Kristen Kreider.

Ruskin Masters:

* Richard Wentworth 2002–2010 *Stephen Farthing 1990–2000 *David Tindle 1985–1987 *Philip Morsberger 1971–1984 *Richard Naish 1964–1971 *Percy Horton 1949–1964 *Albert Rutherston 1929–1949 *Sydney Carline 1922–1929 *Alexander Macdonald 1871–1922

==Alumni== {{main list|Category:Alumni of the Ruskin School of Art }}

==References== {{Reflist}}

==Further reading== * Robert Hewison, ''John Ruskin: the Argument of the Eye'', Princeton University Press 1976, ''Chapter Seven: Action'' ([http://www.victorianweb.org/authors/ruskin/hewison/7.html online version] at Victorian Web)

==External links== * [http://www.rsa.ox.ac.uk/ Ruskin School of Art] * [http://www.admissions.ox.ac.uk/courses/fine.shtml University of Oxford Admissions]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ruskin School of Drawing and Fine Art}} Category:Universities and colleges established in 1871 Category:1871 establishments in England Category:Humanities Division, University of Oxford Category:Art schools in England Category:John Ruskin