& To be taught to write or to speak
- but what is the use of speaking if you have nothing to say? To be taught to think
- nay what is the use of being able to think if you have nothing to think of? But to be taught to see is to gain word & thought at once & both true& Ruskin was the most powerful & influential critic of the nineteenth century He wrote about nature art architecture politics history myth & much besides; all his work is characterized by a clarity of vision as unsettling & intense now as it was for his first readers This new selection draws on the whole range of his astonishingly varied output from the passionate celebration of J M W Turner&s painting in the first volume of Modern Painters (1843) to Praeterita (1885-9) the elegiac autobiography of his later years The introduction outlines Ruskin&s life & thought & shows why he remains such a rewarding writer today ABOUT THE SERIES For over 100 years Oxford World&s Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe Each affordable volume reflects Oxford&s commitment to scholarship providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features including expert introductions by leading authorities helpful notes to clarify the text up-to-date bibliographies for further study & much more