ABSTRACT
Although John Ruskin has rightly been described as 'England's finest art critic',1 the impact of his views on art education during the nineteenth cen tury and beyond is less clearly understood and certainly underestimated. This chapter is an account of Ruskin's criticism of the nationally organized 'South Kensington system'. It describes his larger aspirations for the function of art in education and demonstrates the influence of his views not only in Britain but also in the United States.
