A. E. Seaton, 'Peacock feather' - Study of a Peacock's Tail Feather (1876-9). Courtesy Guild of St George, Museums Sheffield

New permanent exhibition - The Ruskin Collection in the Ruskin Gallery, Millennium Gallery, Sheffield.

From the barbs of a feather to the peak of a mountain – nature is celebrated to the full in a new display of artworks and objects at the Ruskin Gallery in Sheffield's Millennium Gallery.

The Ruskin Collection presents a visual record of everything that inspired John Ruskin (1819-1900), the eminent Victorian philosopher, writer and artist, along with over 20 works by the man himself.

Though a snapshot of the 19th century, the collection is just as relevant today, as many of Ruskin’s ideas continue to inspire.

John Ruskin, Upper part of the Figure of St George, after Carpaccio (1872). Courtesy Guild of St George, Museums Sheffield

Described by Leo Tolstoy as “one of those rare men who think with their heart”, Ruskin is said to have inspired a plethora of great minds from Mahatma Ghandi to Oscar Wilde, whilst his 250 literary works range across topics as diverse as science, politics and mythology.

Ruskin’s unique collection includes over 900 paintings, watercolours and drawings by the likes of Thomas Matthew Rooke, 6,300 ornithological prints by artists such as Edward Lear, and over 30 plaster casts of architectural features from the Ducal Palace, St Marks in Venice and the North West door of Rouen Cathedral, France.

(Above) John Ruskin, Study of St George and the Dragon, after Carpaccio (1879). Courtesy Guild of St George, Museums Sheffield.

Inspired in part by the tenets of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood of Victorian artists who looked for a truthful portrayal of nature through art, the collection is underpinned by Ruskin’s obsession for classical portrait poses and nature’s intricate designs.

Though Ruskin never exhibited his paintings, they were very distinctive, adapting the style and techniques of great artists like Turner to detailed botanical, geological and architectural observation.

John Ruskin, 'Matterhorn' - The Matterhorn from the Moat of the Riffelhorn (1849). Courtesy Guild of St George, Museums Sheffield

Some of the new items displayed have not been exhibited for many years. These include pencil and watercolour illustrations by Ruskin, such as the architectural sketches for his books The Seven Lamps of Architecture and Modern Painters.

New and re-displayed items include an engraving by Albrecht Dürer of his portrait of eminent writer and thinker, Erasmus from 1526, and an almost 900 year old Missal – a book of sermons and prayers – in which brightly coloured ornaments and shining silver and gold paint decorate almost every page.

Page from the 'De Croy' Book of Hours, French (late 1400s). Courtesy Guild of St George, Museums Sheffield

The smallest of the medieval manuscripts on show is the 'De Croy' Book of Hours, which was decorated by the renowned French illustrator Jean Fouquet and used as an autograph for celebrities of the 1600s.

The Ruskin Collection is owned by the Guild of St George, which was founded by Ruskin in 1871 to organise the display his work in Sheffield as an educational resource for local people.

John Wharlton Bunney (1828-1882). 'Manzoni' - The Palazzo Manzoni on the Grand Canal (1871). Courtesy Guild of St George, Museums Sheffield

The display also features a brand new interactive for children as well as extensive new information on Ruskin and his collection.

For more information visit the Ruskin Collection website.