John Ruskin - The Stones of Venice - Volume I (of III): "Quality is never an accident; it is always the result of intelligent effort."

John Ruskin was born on February 8th, 1819 at 54, Hunter Street, Brunswick Square, London. Ruskin is now recognised as the pre-eminent English art critic of the Victorian era. His talents and interests were diverse and complex. He was also an art patron, draughtsman, water-colourist, a prominent social thinker and philanthropist. His writing was across subjects from geology, architecture, myth, ornithology and literature to education, botany and political economy. As well Ruskin also wrote ...