Ruskin's Venice: The Stones Revisited FROM THE PUBLISHER
"John Ruskin's masterpiece The Stones of Venice (1851-3) was one of the most influential books on art and architecture ever written and is still regarded as a classic work. However, the problems posed by its length (almost half a million words in three volumes) make it a challenge to read in its entirety." Sarah Quill has resolved this challenge by selecting Ruskin's descriptions of individual buildings and linking them to her own photographs of the same buildings, so creating a fascinating guide that fuses Ruskin's vision of the city with images of the present day. Covering a wide range of subjects - from palaces, churches and town houses, to bridges, courtyards and capitals - Quill's glorious photographs illuminate Ruskin's words and record with skill and precision the fine architectural details described by him: intricate brickwork, coloured marble, carvings and sculpture. In addition, many of Ruskin's own drawings and watercolours are reproduced, together with nineteenth-century engravings, providing an intriguing visual comparison between the Venice he encountered over 150 years ago and the city we see today. Also included are extracts from Ruskin's letters, and introductory chapters that provide essential background on Ruskin in Venice and Venetian architecture. The result is a beautifully illustrated book that successfully communicates the writer's passion for Venice and his concern for her architectural heritage.
FROM THE CRITICS
Booknews
To mark the centenary of the death of Ruskin (the great 19th-century writer, artist and critic), photographer Quill has compiled an illustrated guide to the stones of Venice, linking Ruskin's descriptions of the exteriors of individual buildings with a contemporary photographic record of the architecture and sculpture as it is seen today. Together with a selection of Ruskin's prose, drawings, watercolors, and a number of 19th-century engravings of the period, Quill's photographs identify the details described by Ruskin and show the extent to which the city's architecture has survived or changed since the original publication of Ruskin's three-volume work on the subject. The opening chapter by art historian Alan Windsor provides informative introductions to Ruskin's involvement with Venice and to the periods and styles of Venetian architecture. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
Art & Photography
Book Info
