First plans for 'a work of some labour'

In Praeterita ( Works, 35.218), Ruskin described his unpublished' Letter to Blackwood's (1836) as 'the first chapter of Modern Painters'. The second 'chapter' in the evolution of Modern Painters I was deferred until after Ruskin's time as an undergraduate at Oxford. During the subsequent long Continental tour (1840-41), when he was convalescing from tuberculosis, Ruskin wrote to his 'College Friend', the Revd Edward Clayton, from Naples on 12 February 1841 announcing that he had 'begun a work of some labour' which would take him 'several years to complete', but for which he was not then strong enough to read ( Works, 1.434). Ruskin may well have made a resolution to write what he thought of as' Turner 's work' on his twenty-second birthday, four days earlier: he took such anniversaries very seriously. In the twelve months that followed the family's return to England, however, Ruskin had a restful summer (1841) before his preparation for final examinations (1841-42). He did not settle down to the 'work of some labour' until September 1842 (see renewed plans for 'Turner's work', period of composition of Modern Painters I).

MW

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