The Stones of Venice

In the early 1850s, John Ruskin published The Stones of Venice, a history of Venetian architecture. He asserted the moral and aesthetic superiority of Venice's medieval buildings over structures from the Renaissance period. Ruskin's engaging and beautifully crafted prose inspired his Anglo-American readers to travel to Venice, to construct Gothic Revival buildings in their own cities, and to critically examine the moral virtues of modern society and how those principles are reflected in modern architecture.

Since 1904, only abridged editions of The Stones of Venice have been published all of which sacrifice Ruskin's didacticism in favour of the aestheticism of a few select passages. As the first unabridged edition in over a century, this book restores the context for those selections. It retains Ruskin's tripartite history of Venice and includes material omitted from abridged versions, including Ruskin's supplementary folio. It features reproductions of many of Ruskin's original sketches, which in previous editions appeared only as engraved copies. This edition includes his list of Venice's most important buildings, with endnotes updating their contemporary status, as well as an appendix with selections from other Venetian-themed texts by Ruskin. Introducing new readers to an important literary figure, this book also features an introductory essay that situates The Stones of Venice within John Ruskin's life and writings.

"Ours is an era whose simulation, spectacle, and artificial intelligence challenge our notions of selfhood and society, making John Ruskin's message on the ethics and aesthetics of building city and community ever more prescient. In The Stones of Venice, Ruskin employs the builder's trowel as much as his captivating pen - readers must take his work whole. He guides us evocatively through Venice, but also apprentices us to erect the city stone by stone. With a perceptive introduction by William C. McKeown, this book truly gives us The Stones of Venice complete - both in its romance and in its ardent antiquarianism."--Stephen Kite, Emeritus Professor, Welsh School of Architecture, Cardiff University
"The Stones of Venice was a milestone not only for Ruskin - his most important book after Modern Painters - but also in nineteenth-century cultural history, encompassing art, architectural, and social history. Charlotte Brontë thought the Stones 'nobly laid and chiselled' with 'the character, the marked individuality, which pervades every page.' An unabridged edition of any of Ruskin's major publications is a rare event, in this case enhanced by the knowledgeable and sensitive editing of William C. McKeown, who adds many informative notes as well as an insightful introduction."--Stephen Wildman, Former Director, Ruskin Library and Research Centre, Lancaster University

John Ruskin (1819–1900) was an English writer, philosopher, and art critic.

William C. McKeown is an associate professor of art history at the University of Memphis.

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