Needlework and John Ruskin’s “acicular art of nations”
This essay outlines Victorian cultural critic John Ruskin’s use of needlework. Paying particular attention to textiles in the opening and closing of Fors Clavigera (1871-1885), and highlighting educational texts by two women cited there (Kate Stanley and Millicent Garrett Fawcett), this paper argues...
Saved in:
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Laboratoire d’Etudes et de Recherches sur le Monde Anglophone (LERMA)
2018-12-01
|
| Series: | E-REA |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://journals.openedition.org/erea/6710 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1841552705944813568 |
|---|---|
| author | Rachel M. W. DICKINSON |
| author_facet | Rachel M. W. DICKINSON |
| author_sort | Rachel M. W. DICKINSON |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This essay outlines Victorian cultural critic John Ruskin’s use of needlework. Paying particular attention to textiles in the opening and closing of Fors Clavigera (1871-1885), and highlighting educational texts by two women cited there (Kate Stanley and Millicent Garrett Fawcett), this paper argues that Ruskin blurs the boundaries of Victorian Britain’s hierarchical classifications of gender, class, nation and art. Mapping a shift in Ruskin’s knowledge and use of needlework, particularly as negotiated through learning about plain sewing and embroidery from Stanley, it demonstrates how Ruskin takes a traditionally feminine form of work and uses it to teach universal lessons. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-c301b5ddeadb4e859332dd362bf6ae7c |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1638-1718 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2018-12-01 |
| publisher | Laboratoire d’Etudes et de Recherches sur le Monde Anglophone (LERMA) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | E-REA |
| spelling | doaj-art-c301b5ddeadb4e859332dd362bf6ae7c2025-01-09T12:52:49ZengLaboratoire d’Etudes et de Recherches sur le Monde Anglophone (LERMA)E-REA1638-17182018-12-0116110.4000/erea.6710Needlework and John Ruskin’s “acicular art of nations”Rachel M. W. DICKINSONThis essay outlines Victorian cultural critic John Ruskin’s use of needlework. Paying particular attention to textiles in the opening and closing of Fors Clavigera (1871-1885), and highlighting educational texts by two women cited there (Kate Stanley and Millicent Garrett Fawcett), this paper argues that Ruskin blurs the boundaries of Victorian Britain’s hierarchical classifications of gender, class, nation and art. Mapping a shift in Ruskin’s knowledge and use of needlework, particularly as negotiated through learning about plain sewing and embroidery from Stanley, it demonstrates how Ruskin takes a traditionally feminine form of work and uses it to teach universal lessons.https://journals.openedition.org/erea/6710John Ruskineducationneedleworkpolitical economyKate StanleyMillicent Garrett Fawcett |
| spellingShingle | Rachel M. W. DICKINSON Needlework and John Ruskin’s “acicular art of nations” E-REA John Ruskin education needlework political economy Kate Stanley Millicent Garrett Fawcett |
| title | Needlework and John Ruskin’s “acicular art of nations” |
| title_full | Needlework and John Ruskin’s “acicular art of nations” |
| title_fullStr | Needlework and John Ruskin’s “acicular art of nations” |
| title_full_unstemmed | Needlework and John Ruskin’s “acicular art of nations” |
| title_short | Needlework and John Ruskin’s “acicular art of nations” |
| title_sort | needlework and john ruskin s acicular art of nations |
| topic | John Ruskin education needlework political economy Kate Stanley Millicent Garrett Fawcett |
| url | https://journals.openedition.org/erea/6710 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT rachelmwdickinson needleworkandjohnruskinsacicularartofnations |