John Ruskin is the greatest writer whom, today, an educated person can admit not having read without embarrassment. One professes ignorance of Shakespeare or Dickens with apology or defiance, but most of us still seem unaware that Ruskin is as essential as Chaucer or Milton to understanding ourselves within a world (for all its ills), of beauty and happiness. Hopefully The Worlds of John Ruskin will bring new readers to one of modernity’s most remarkable thinkers.
Ruskin first made his name with Modern Painters, a five volume work published between 1843 and 1860 which established Ruskin as the dominant art critic of the mid-19th century and is remembered chiefly for its passionate defence of Turner. He went on to become the principle champion of the Pre-Raphaelites, but his interests soon expanded to architecture, the subject of The Seven Lamps of Architecture (1849) and The Stones of Venice (1851-1853).
It was principally in the course of writing these works (which constitute Ruskin’s contribution as a key theorist of the Gothic Revival), that he became convinced of the inseparability of artistic production and wider social circumstances.
Comments
Join the debate for just $5 for 3 months
Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for $5.
UNLOCK ACCESS Just $5 for 3 monthsAlready a subscriber? Log in