Val d'Arno, Lecture 7

What it is

This is Lecture VII from John Ruskin's Val d'Arno, a series of lectures on the art and architecture of the Arno valley in Italy. The lecture is available as a text on Wikisource. It discusses the mouldings and joints of medieval buildings, including the Tower of the Death-watch, and it turns to Giotto's career and the dates of his life. The lecture is written as a spoken talk, with numbered paragraphs and a question-and-answer style.

Why it matters

Ruskin was a leading English writer on art and architecture in the 1800s. His lectures shaped how many readers understood Italian painting and building. By placing Giotto alongside the builders and sculptors of his time, Ruskin shows that Giotto's work belongs to a larger tradition of stone and craft. The lecture reveals how Victorian writers judged medieval artists by the quality of their construction and the honesty of their materials.

Look closer

• What does Ruskin compare Giotto's work to, and why does he make that comparison?
• How does Ruskin use questions to make his listeners think, and what conclusions does he want them to reach?
• What does the lecture leave out about the people who actually worked on these buildings?