John Ruskin was the first art critic to make his reputation by championing contemporary art: first by defending Turner, in his book Modern Painters, and then by giving his decisive support to the avant-garde Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. He became one of the defining voices of the 19th century, engaging not only in the discussion of art and architecture, but the social issues of his age.
Ruskin, Turner, and the Pre-Raphaelites, which marks the centenary of Ruskin's death, recovers his role as a contemporary critic by bringing together many of the masterpieces that he wrote about, and exploring his personal links with some of the greatest painters of the Victorian period. He was also an artist in his own right, and Ruskin's finest drawings are used to demonstrate the arguments of a critic for whom "All great art is praise". The book also features many pieces from Ruskin's own art collection.
