John Ruskin (1819–1900), whose life spanned the Victorian era, became the most
celebrated and influential art critic of his age. Author of countless books and a gifted
draughtsman, he was a polymath whose interests ranged from literature, art and
architecture to geology, early photography and the sciences. He inherited a fortune but
gave most of it away to philanthropic enterprises. His work on Venetian architecture is
best remembered in his three-volume masterpiece, The Stones of Venice (published
1851–53), which has inspired generations of visitors to the city. Sarah Quill will discuss
Ruskin’s life and Venetian work in this illustrated lecture.