Ruskin encountered the world by close looking, and conveyed his insights through both image and word. He was a talented draughtsman and watercolourist.

Ruskin was also a transformative art critic and educator. His ideas set the cultural agenda of his era and they continue to shape current thinking about art, architecture and heritage. Today, his best-known works remain Modern Painters (1843–1860) and Stones of Venice (1851 – 1853).