ABSTRACT
John Ruskin's influence on American culture was both pervasive and persistent even though he never set foot in the United States. His poetic prose, his interest in geology, his call for truth to nature, and the religious and moral undertones of his writings appealed early on to Americans well-versed in both a Wordsworthian and Transcendental tradition. Ruskin remained the central influence on Moore throughout his career and is remarkably present in Moore's art history lectures for the Department of the History of Art at Harvard. Moore's art history lectures betray his Ruskinian bent in both subject matter and presentation. Charles Herbert Moore ensured Ruskin's continued impact on Harvard students. Among the many students who absorbed the Ruskin Moore emphasis on learning to see through exercises in drawing and an understanding of technical methods were Edward W. Forbes and Paul Sachs, who became, respectively, director and associate director of the Fogg after Moore retired and relocated to England.
