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.”

“Civilization is the making of civil persons.”

“It is written on the arched sky; it looks out from every star. It is the poetry of Nature; it is that which uplifts the spirit within us.”

“It is in this power of saying everything, and yet saying nothing too plainly, that the perfection of art consists.”

“The work of science is to substitute facts for appearances, and demonstrations for impressions.”

“To know anything well involves a profound sensation of ignorance.”

“The sky is the part of creation in which nature has done for the sake of pleasing man.”

“A little thought and a little kindness are often worth more than a great deal of money.”

“There is no wealth but life.”

“Nearly all the powerful people of this age are unbelievers, the best of them in doubt and misery, the most in plodding hesitation, doing as well as they can, what practical work lies at hand.”

“Modern education has devoted itself to the teaching of impudence, and then we complain that we can no longer control our mobs.”

“An unimaginative person can neither be reverent or kind.”

“Some slaves are scoured to their work by whips, others by their restlessness and ambition.”

“I believe the right question to ask, respecting all ornament, is simply this; was it done with enjoyment, was the carver happy while he was about it?”

“I believe that the first test of a great man is his humility. I don't mean by humility, doubt of his power. But really great men have a curious feeling that the greatness is not of them, but through them. And they see something divine in every other man and are endlessly, foolishly, incredibly merciful.”

“It is far more difficult to be simple than to be complicated; far more difficult to sacrifice skill and easy execution in the proper place, than to expand both indiscriminately.”

“It's unwise to pay too much, but it's worse to pay too little. Whenyou pay too much, you lose a little money - that's all. When you paytoo little, you sometimes lose everything, because the thing youbought was incapable of doing the thing it was bought to do. Thecommon law of business balance prohibits paying a little and getting alot - it can't be done. If you deal with the lowest bidder, it is wellto add something for the risk you run, and if you do that you willhave enough to pay for something better.”

“It is not how much one makes but to what purpose one spends.”

“That country is the richest which nourishes the greatest number of noble and happy human beings.”

“An architect should live as little in cities as a painter. Send him to our hills, and let him study there what nature understands by a buttress, and what by a dome.”