The Works of John Ruskin : Cambridge University Press : 9781108008501 : 110800850X : 18 Feb 2010 : The influence of John Ruskin (1819 - 1900), both on his own time and on artistic and social developments in the twentieth century, cannot be over-stated. His championship of Turner and of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood changed Victorian perceptions of art, and the `Gothic revival' buildings which are landmarks in so many cities worldwide owe their origin to his passionate advocacy of pre-Renaissance art and architecture. As a social critic and essayist, he argued for the improvement of the condition of the poor, and against the increasing mechanisation of work in factories which he believed was dull, repetitive and soul-destroying. His idealistic views on the importance of craftsmanship were adopted by William Morris and the Arts and Crafts movement and were an important influence on the development of Christian Socialism. The thirty-nine volumes of the Library Edition of his works, edite