Publisher's Synopsis
For John Ruskin (1819-1900), the discovery of Tintoretto's (1519-94) works in 1845 was revelatory. His visit to the Scuola Grande di San Rocco that year would inspire Ruskin to write The Stones of Venice, beloved by writers from Proust to Henry James. On the 200th anniversary of Ruskin's birth and the 500th of Tintoretto's, Looking at Tintoretto with John Ruskin collects Ruskin's writings on Tintoretto alongside the very paintings that he rhapsodizes. At the center of the volume is Ruskin's "A Venetian Index," which leads the reader by the hand through the numerous sites of Tintoretto's work in Venice. In particular, his commentary on the state of art conservation in Venice will strike readers as a very modern concern. Looking at Tintoretto with John Ruskin invites the reader to experience the resonant influence that both icons continue to have today.
