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The splatter of green and yellow that caused uproar in the Victorian art world

A double biography of John Ruskin and James Whistler describes in detail the notorious feud between the prominent critic and the flamboyant post-Impressionist

25 January 2025

9:00 AM

25 January 2025

9:00 AM

Falling Rocket: James Whistler, John Ruskin and the Battle for Modern Art Paul Thomas Murphy

Pegasus, pp.400, 22

London, June 1877. Beneath a cloudy sky, the celebrated art critic John Ruskin strode along Bond Street towards the newly opened Grosvenor Gallery. Inside, he viewed a smash-hit show of beautiful and progressive art. At least that was the popular opinion. With a few exceptions, Ruskin dismissed the works on display as eccentric, impertinent and indulgent.

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