In the second half, Ruskin develops his aesthetic theories in greater detail by focusing on the individual elements of nature, exploring how the truth of nature appears through skies, clouds, mountains, land, water, and vegetation. He closely examines the structure of open skies and clouds, the movement of rain clouds, and the changing effects of light within the atmosphere, criticizing earlier painters for oversimplifying these natural phenomena while praising Turner for capturing the true movement and vitality of sky and light more faithfully than anyone before him. Ruskin then turns to mountains, foregrounds, rivers, seas, and plant life, arguing that nature is never static but instead a constantly shifting flow of energy, life, and force, and that a truly great painter must represent this living rhythm within the artwork itself. In his discussion of water, he compares classical painters, modern painters, and Turner, insisting that true representation requires more than reflections and outward shapes because an artist must also capture the light, air, motion, and depth contained within water itself. In the concluding sections Ruskin questions whether modern art and modern criticism truly understand the emotional truth and spiritual power of nature, ultimately presenting art as something capable of transforming the very way human beings perceive the world around them.
