Home > Catalogue > English Literature > 11 | 2024 > Ruskin’s Poetics of Mountains and the Victorian Alpine Spirit
cover
cover

Ruskin’s Poetics of Mountains and the Victorian Alpine Spirit

William Bainbridge    University of Hertfordshire    

VIEW PDF DOWNLOAD PDF

abstract

The Alps captivated John Ruskin, inspiring an enduring intellectual quest that spanned his lifetime. Through his diaries and seminal texts like Fors Clavigera, Ruskin’s profound spiritual admiration for the alpine landscapes emerges, challenging both the recreational and utilitarian perspectives prevalent in his era. This article contrasts the differing approaches of British and German mountaineers during the Victorian period, showcasing how Ruskin’s perspective transcended the prevailing attitudes of his time. It also examines the influence of his philosophy on mountain aesthetics, particularly noting how it inspired artists like Elijah Walton to integrate naturalism with Romantic expressionism, reflecting a deep engagement with the beauty of creation. The article transitions to consider the cultural shift from Ruskin’s intellectual veneration to Leslie Stephen’s embodied interaction with mountains, offering a nuanced critique of how tourism and commercial endeavours have lessened their majesty. Additionally, the paper explores Ruskin’s influence on Reginald Farrer’s theory that mountains embody a unique spiritual psychology, broadening the discussion to encompass the interconnectedness between the physical and the spiritual realms. Overall, this contribution offers a contemplative exploration of John Ruskin’s profound influence on the appreciation of mountain landscapes, set against the evolving practices of Victorian and German mountaineering.

Published
March 7, 2025
Accepted
Dec. 21, 2024
Submitted
Aug. 13, 2024
Language
IT

Keywords: AlpsElijah WaltonJohn RuskinLandscapeReginald FarrerLeslie Stephen

Copyright: © 2024 William Bainbridge. This is an open-access work distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction is permitted, provided that the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. The license allows for commercial use. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

Se trovi interessanti le nostre pubblicazioni e vuoi ricevere aggiornamenti sulle prossime uscite, iscriviti ora alla nostra newsletter.

x

Newsletter