John Ruskin

British art critic, writer, and social reformer (1819–1900)

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About

John Ruskin, a major figure of the Victorian era, profoundly influenced art and social thought. After studying at Oxford, he published the first volume of Modern Painters in 1843, defending the painter Turner. His writings on architecture, such as The Seven Lamps of Architecture and The Stones of Venice, inspired the Arts and Crafts movement. He championed the Pre-Raphaelites and criticized capitalist economics in Unto This Last, influencing Gandhi. As an art professor at Oxford, he founded the Guild of St George and left an unfinished autobiography, Praeterita.

* 1819-02-08 — † 1900-01-20

Major works

  • Modern Painters (1843-1860)art essay
  • The Seven Lamps of Architecture (1849)architectural essay
  • The Stones of Venice (1851-1853)architectural essay
  • Unto This Last (1860)economic essay
  • Praeterita (1885-1889)autobiography

Key milestones

  • 1839Won the Newdigate Prize for poetry at Oxford.
  • 1869Appointed first Slade Professor of Fine Art at Oxford.
  • 1871Founded the Guild of St George, a utopian community for social reform.

Themes

Critique of capitalist economicsMoral value of artArchitecture and societySocial reformNature and environment

Sources: britannica.com · dev.npg.org.uk · archiveshub.jisc.ac.uk