ABSTRACT
The extant correspondence between Louisa Waterford and John Ruskin begins with the first formal note dated to 1853, and ends with the final letter dated 1875. The situation became even more serious for the many women who were unable to establish themselves within marriage, because their frivolous education left them woefully ill-equipped for earning a living. Ruskin's instructional methods reflected his personal tastes and theories about art, far more than they developed the natural potential of his pupil. Beyond their student-teacher relationship, Waterford and Ruskin were friends. Some of the letters possess a relaxed, expansive quality. Enthusiasm for accomplishments verged on mania during the first half of the nineteenth century, with activities including music, French, Italian, dancing, painting and drawing. In conclusion, during the first third of the nineteenth century, when Louisa Water ford was growing up, women's art mainly fell into the category of accomplishment art. Compared to later in the century, comparatively few women painted professionally.
