Ruskin is one of the most influential and exhilarating writers in English. Art critic, architectural visionary, social reformer, climate warner and incomparable teacher; Ruskin's words not only transformed Victorian England but speak to us with increasing urgency today. This, the first general introduction to Ruskin for many years, places him in the social, economic and aesthetic world of Victorian Britain that he transformed – and shows how this transformation has much to teach us today. The extensive illustrations range from private notes and lecture diagrams to presentation drawings, including some of the most beautiful images of the 19th century and many never before published. Published in association with the Ruskin Foundation. AUTHOR: Kevin Jackson is a Visiting Professor at University College London; he has produced scores of television and radio programmes for the BBC, been the Assistant Arts Editor of The Independent, and has written over 30 books, including A Ruskin Alphabet and two comic books based on Ruskin's essays. Pallas Athene also published his collected essays Carnal and his last book Coles to Jerusalem: A Pilgrimage to the Holy Land with Rev. Richard Coles. SELLING POINTS: . The first fully illustrated introduction to John Ruskin, art critic, architectural visionary, social reformer, environmentalist and teacher, situating him in the Victorian Britain he helped transform