Educational Media Reviews Online

Finely detailed, beautifully illustrated, and logically narrated, Ruskin's Journey : Teaching People to See is an excellent introduction to John Ruskin, one of the most important and influential thinkers of the nineteenth century. This documentary retraces Ruskin's many journeys across Europe, emphasizing Venice and Rouen. His observation and study of Gothic architecture and medieval craftsmanship shaped his thinking on art and architecture (most notably in Modern Painters, The Seven Lamps of Architecture, and The Stones of Venice) and ultimately his views on social reform and capitalism. In the details of Gothic architecture, he perceived a noble vitality in the medieval craftsmen, and yet in Victorian society, he saw the nobility of the laborer threatened as the rich prospered at the expense of the laboring classes. Highly recommended for high school and above, for both humanities and social studies collections. Also recommended for introductory-level University Art History and Architecture courses.

Highly Recommended