INTRODUCTION xlvii

Venice and The Construction of Sheepfolds, Ruskin went for a short while to Matlock, and there set to work on revising the first and second volumes of Modern Painters, new editions of which were published later in the year.¹ The fame of that book was steadily growing, and in March 1851 its author had the satisfaction of reading in the report of a public banquet² a very complimentary allusion to himself. M. Van de Weyer, the Belgian Minister, in proposing “the Artists and Sir Charles Eastlake,” referred to “Turner, whose genius had inspired the pages of the most eloquent moral and religious book ever published in this or any other age.” It was in the same year that the fairy tale written ten years before-The King of the Golden River-was published. This book at any rate had an immediate sale, three editions of it being issued in 1851. In the spring Ruskin made a visit to Cambridge, where, as already described (Vol. VIII. p. xl.), he had architectural talks and rambles with Whewell and Willis. From Cambridge he went to Lincoln, and thence on a visit to Mr. Fawkes at Farnley. His study of the Turner collection there was introduced into the pamphlet next to be mentioned. The Academy Exhibition of 1851 involved Ruskin in new interests which, in more ways than one, were to affect his work and life. This was the championship of the Pre-Raphaelites, which his friend Patmore induced him to undertake, and which led to his forming a friendship with Millais. Letters to The Times in defence of the Pre-Raphaelites (May 13 and May 30) were followed up by a pamphlet dealing with their works and also with Turner, which was issued under the title of Pre-Raphaelitism on August 13. Both the letters and the pamphlet will be found in a later volume of this edition (Vol. XII.).

These labours, and the distractions of another London season,³ left no time or energy for the continuance of The Stones of Venice. Moreover, for the Venetian part of the essay, further study on the spot was necessary. As soon, therefore, as he had written the last page of Pre-Raphaelitism, Raphaelitism, Ruskin started (August 4) with his wife for another autumn and winter in Venice. At this point, then, we may break off our account of the book, reserving for the Introduction to its other volumes the story of his further studies as well as some account of the reception and influence of the completed work.

¹ See Bibliographical Notes, Vol. III. p. lviii. and Vol. IV. p. liii. Referring to this visit in a letter to his father from Venice (Nov. 12, 1851) he says: “I found our old inland haunt, Matlock, little changed, and very sweet and quiet, and there seem some beautiful little places about Shropshire and the skirts of Wales.”

² To Macready on his retirement from the stage: see Times, March 3, 1851.

³ “I never was in better health in my life,” he writes to his mother from Venice (Oct. 22, 1851), “except that I still feel a little the effects of the London Season.”

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