After experiencing a taste of Italy in 1833, John Ruskin’s first visit to Venice came two years later.   Further visits in 1841 and 1845 (the first without his parents) convinced him that it was ‘a Paradise of cities.’  Initially seduced by its romantic beauty, he then chose to undertake a far deeper study of its art and architecture than anyone had previously attempted.

This display is drawn entirely from the riches of the Whitehouse Collection, which contains by far the largest amount of preparatory material for Ruskin’s 3-volume book The Stones of Venice (1851-53), as well as many other individual drawings, watercolours and photographs.  It will coincide with the publication of a new book by Robert Hewison, Ruskin on Venice (Yale University Press, January 2010).

The images on this page are a very small selection of Ruskin's drawings of Venice - many appear as illustrations in The Stones of Venice.