John Ruskin was an English writer, philosopher, art critic, and polymath during the Victorian era. He lived from 8 February 1819 to 20 January 1900. He published on a wide range of topics, including political economy, myth, ornithology, literature, education, and geology. Ruskin was very interested in Viollet le Duc's work, especially his Dictionary, which he regarded to be "the only book of any value on architecture." He taught it to all of his students, including William Morris. Ruskin used a variety of literary genres and writing styles. In addition to articles and treatises, he also published poems, lectures, travel instructions, correspondence, and even a fairy tale. Additionally, he created in-depth drawings and paintings of decorations, landscapes, birds, plants, and rocks. His early writings on art were written in an ornate style that eventually gave way to simpler language that served to better convey his ideas. He highlighted the links between nature, art, and society in all of his writing.
