John Ruskin Sayings and Quotes

Below you will find our collection of inspirational, wise, and humorous old John Ruskin quotes, John Ruskin sayings, and John Ruskin proverbs, collected over the years from a variety of sources.'

Punishment is the last and the least effective instrument in the hands of the legislator for the prevention of crime. John Ruskin
The highest reward for a person's toil is not what they get for it, but what they become by it. John Ruskin
Bread of flour is good; but there is bread, sweet as honey, if we would eat it, in a good book. John Ruskin
Man's only true happiness is to live in hope of something to be won by him. Reverence something to be worshipped by him, and love something to be cherished by him, forever. John Ruskin
Skill is the unified force of experience, intellect and passion in their operation. John Ruskin
Cheerfulness is as natural to the heart of a man in strong health as color to his cheek; and wherever there is habitual gloom there must be either bad air, unwholesome food, improperly severe labor, or erring habits of life. John Ruskin
In one point of view, Gothic is not only the best, but the only rational architecture, as being that which can fit itself most easily to all services, vulgar or noble. John Ruskin
One can't be angry when one looks at a penguin. John Ruskin
It seems a fantastic paradox, but it is nevertheless a most important truth, that no architecture can be truly noble which is not imperfect. John Ruskin
Remember that the most beautiful things in the world are the most useless; peacocks and lilies for instance. John Ruskin
Sculpture is not the mere cutting of the form of anything in stone; it is the cutting of the effect of it. Very often the true form, in the marble, would not be in the least like itself. John Ruskin
Whereas it has long been known and declared that the poor have no right to the property of the rich, I wish it also to be known and declared that the rich have no right to the property of the poor. John Ruskin
The noble grotesque involves the true appreciation of beauty. John Ruskin
And whether consciously or not, you must be in many a heart enthroned: queens you must always be: queens to your lovers; queens to your husbands and sons; queens of higher mystery to the world beyond, which bows itself, and will forever bow, before the myrtle crown, and the stainless scepter of womanhood. John Ruskin
Fine art is that in which the hand, the head, and the heart of man go together. John Ruskin
Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us up, snow is exhilarating; there is really no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather. John Ruskin
It is better to lose your pride with someone you love rather than to lose that someone you love with your useless pride. John Ruskin
No human being, however great, or powerful, was ever so free as a fish. John Ruskin
Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us up, snow is exhilarating; there is really no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather. John Ruskin
Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us up, snow is exhilarating; there is really no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather. John Ruskin
They are good furniture pictures, unworthy of praise, and undeserving of blame. John Ruskin
I do not believe that any peacock envies another peacock his tail, because every peacock is persuaded that his own tail is the finest in the world. The consequence of this is that peacocks are peaceable birds. John Ruskin
He who can take no interest in what is small will take false interest in what is great. John Ruskin
Doing is the great thing. for if, resolutely, people do what is right, in time they come to like doing it. John Ruskin
The purest and most thoughtful minds are those which love color the most. John Ruskin
We require from buildings two kinds of goodness. First, the doing their practical duty well, then that they be graceful and pleasing in doing it. John Ruskin
When we build, let us think that we build forever. John Ruskin
We require from buildings two kinds of goodness. First, the doing their practical duty well, then that they be graceful and pleasing in doing it. John Ruskin
When we build, let us think that we build forever. John Ruskin
A little thought and a little kindness are often worth more than a great deal of money. John Ruskin