The title of this ambivalent, but ultimately negative review (see here) by William Henry Smith in Blackwood's Magazine - 'Mr Ruskin's Work' - is a reminder that Ruskin was, by September 1851, known to be the author of a considerable body of work on art and architecture: the first and second volumes of Modern Painters (1843, 1846), The Seven Lamps of Architecture (1849), and had published during 1851 the first volume of The Stones of Venice, Notes on the Construction of Sheepfolds and Pre-Raphaelitism.
Smith's opinion of Modern Painters I is coloured by his indignation at Ruskin's recent attack on the Church of Scotland in Notes on the Construction of Sheepfolds (March 1851) (see here). The accusations of inconsistency and dogmatism (see here), and the questioning of Ruskin's authority as an art critic (see here) are characteristic elements of reviews from conservative critics. Ruskin's description of Poussin 's La Riccia is quoted to illustrate extremity of his critical opinions (see here). While disagreeing with Ruskin's assertion that painting is a language, (see here) Smith concedes that Ruskin's love of nature is a 'redeeming quality' (see here). Rather surprisingly, in view of the ealier hostility of Blackwood's Magazine, Smith agrees with Ruskin on the relative values of generalisation (see here) and the accurate portrayal of nature, and praises the work for improving standards of criticism (see here).