John Ruskin

John Ruskin (1819–1900) was an English writer, art critic, and social thinker whose work shaped Victorian debates about art, architecture, and political economy. He rose to prominence with *Modern Painters* (1843–1860), defending J. M. W. Turner and arguing for truth to nature in art. Ruskin later expanded his criticism to architecture and cultural history in *The Seven Lamps of Architecture* (1849) and *The Stones of Venice* (1851–1853). In the 1860s he turned increasingly to social reform, publishing essays such as *Unto This Last* (1860) and supporting educational and philanthropic projects.