The Life and Work of John Ruskin: With portraits and other illustrations in two volumes (Two Volumes) by [RUSKIN, John]; COLLINGWOOD, W.G - 1893

London: Methuen & Co., 1893. Very Good. Second edition. 8vos, pp. [xvi], 244 + colour frontis and b/w plates; pp. [viii], 286 + fold-out facsimile manuscript frontis and b/w plates. Full tree calf, olive morocco labels, raised bands, spines tooled in gilt, gilt foliate borders, edges with gilt roll tool borders. Marbled edges and endpapers, blind turn-ins. Both vols. include an Appendix, comprising a Chronology, Bibliography and Catalogue. Both vols. spine ends worn and nicked, rubbed at joints and edges, joints cracked. Bookseller sticker to each rear pastedown. Edges and endpapers edges tobacco-darkened. Else, pleasingly clean and tight. An attractive copy of this standard biography of Ruskin. William Gershom Collingwood (1854-1932) was an author, artist and antiquary, who was a pupil and great supporter of Ruskin's, helping to memorialise him not just in print, but also via the Ruskin Museum in Coniston. His biography of Ruskin became a standard work: first published in 1893 (with a limited edition appearing the same year), another edition followed in 1900 (the year of Ruskin's death), but Collingwood declined to edit the Ruskin Library Edition, seeing it as a money-making venture by the critic's executors. He did, however, curate posthumous Ruskin exhibitions in Coniston (1900 and 1919), London (1901), and Manchester (1904). (James S. Dearden, ODNB). Later in life, through his boat, 'Swallow,' Collingwood had some small influence on Arthur Ransome.