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AnnaAntonowicz
[I]nthesegreatpopulations,IndianandHighland–intheracesof
thejungleandofthemoor–twonationalcapacitiesdistinctlyand
accuratelyopposed.Ontheonesidewehavearacerejoicinginart,
andeminentlyanduniversallyendowedwiththegiftofit;onthe
otheryouhaveapeoplecarelessofart,andapparentlyincapableofit,
theirutmosteforthithertoreachingnofurtherthantothevariation
ofthepositionsofbarsofcolourinsquarechequers.[ł]Outofthe
peatcottagecomefaith,courage,self-sacrifice,purity,andpiety,and
whateverelseisfruitfulintheworkofHeaven;outoftheivorypalace
cometreachery,cruelty,cowardice,idolatry,bestiality,–whateveris
fruitfulintheworkofHell.26
TheparadoxwasthenthatIndians,whowereloversofart,produced
seeminglysubtleandbeautifulartthatwasinfactdegradedandunnatural.
Incontrast,theScots,whoseonlyartwastheirtartankilts,weretoopuri-
tanicallyvirtuoustoproduceanysignificantart.Thisparadoxwas,however,
consistentwithRuskin’sbeliefthattheworkofanartistisconditionedby
thekindofnationallifewhichsurroundshim:“theartofanycountryis
theexponentofitssocialandpoliticalvirtues.”27Thewayinwhichapeople
constructsitsbuildingsorpaintsitspicturesisafunctionofitsethicallife,
itsearnestness,itsfaithfulness,itsindustry,“forallgoodartisthenatural
utteranceofitsownpeopleinitsownday.”28Inotherwords,thevirtuesof
anationallifesetlimitstothevirtuesofart:“whennationallifeisvibrant
andmoral,artistoo;whennationallifeisdegraded,soisart.Art’svirtues
canonlybegreatasitspeoplearegreat;otherwiseitsufersinbuildings,
paintingandliteraturefromprevailingvices.Thefoolishbuildfoolishly,the
vicious,basely;thewise,sensibly;andthevirtuous,beautifully.”29Ruskin,
then,rhetoricallyentrappedhimselfbysimultaneouslyvalorisingBritishcivi-
lisationandnostalgicallyidentifyingartandbeautywithbarbarismandthe
diabolicalraceofIndians.IndamningIndiansbecauseoftheMutiny,Ruskin
sidedwiththeindustrial,imperialcivilisationthatheoftenelsewheredamned
asbarbaric,deceitful,exploitative,andunremittinglyugly.
Interestingly,asmuchasthenotionsofcruelty,primitivismandbarbarism
associatedwithabstract,geometricalartanditsproducerscausedRuskinto
contradicthisanti-industrialstatements,theywereverymuchinconcordwith
anumberofaestheticattitudesinBritishhistory.Themosttellingexamples
aretheattitudeoftheRomanstowardsCelticartbetweenthefirstandfifth
centuriesB.C.andtheeighteenth-centuryBritishattitudetowardstheFrench-
26Ruskin,TwoPaths,pp.11–12.
27Ruskin,LecturesonArt,vol.8ofTheWorksofJohnRuskin,p.39.
28Ruskin,LecturesonArt,p.39.
29Ruskin,QueenoftheAir,vol.19ofTheWorksofJohnRuskin,p.418.
