John Ruskin, the son of a prosperous wine merchant, was born in London in 1819

John Ruskin, the son of a prosperous wine merchant, was born in London in 1819. After being educated at home he studied at Oxford University where he won the Newdigate prize for poetry.

Soon after graduating Ruskin met J. M. W. Turner and decided that he would rescue this great painter from obscurity. This campaign included Ruskin's book Modern Painters I (1843) where he highly praised Turner's work. Ruskin also wrote Modern Painters II (1846) where he championed the pre-Raphaelites.

Ruskin was now considered to be Britain's leading writer on culture and other important books written during this period included The Seven Lamps of Architecture (1849), Pre-Raphaelitism (1851), The Stones of Venice (1853), Architecture and Painting (1854), Modern Painters III (1856), Political Economy of Art (1857) and Modern Painters IV (1860).

In the 1850s Ruskin became interested in politics and became a supporter of socialism. Between 1854 and 1858 he taught at the Working Men's College that had been founded by Frederick Denison Maurice, Charles Kingsley and Thomas Hughes in London. In his lectures Ruskin denounced greed as the main principle guiding English life. In books such as Unto the Last (1862) Essays on Political Economy (1862) and Time and Tide (1867), Ruskin argued against competition and self-interest and advocated a form of Christian Socialism.

In 1871 Ruskin began publication of Fors Clavigera: Letters to the Workmen and Labourers of Great Britain. Between 1871 and 1878 it was issued in monthly parts and until 1884 at irregular intervals. Ruskin intended the work to be a "continual challenger to the supporters of and apologists for a capitalist economy". It was Ruskin's socialist writing that influenced trade unionists and political activists such as Tom Mann and Ben Tillett.

Ruskin became a wealthy man after the death of his father in 1864. Ruskin believed it was wrong to be a socialist and rich and he donated a great deal of his money to causes such as the St George's Guild in Paddington, the Whitelands College in Chelsea and the John Ruskin School in Camberwell. In 1884 Ruskin retired to Coniston in the Lake District. After 1889 he stopped writing and rarely spoke.

John Ruskin died in 1900.

Other interesting biographies: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12]

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