Author of Modern Painters, The Seven Lamps of Architecture, and The Stones of Venice, John Ruskin was a leading art critic and architectural authority whose brilliant prose shaped a generation of writers and whose insights and aesthetics helped establish the careers of Whistler and Turner. In this program, scholar Michael Wheeler traces Ruskin’s spiritual and intellectual journey both around Europe and through life, visiting the Gothic cathedral at Rouen and other sites that inspired and shaped the thinking of the great writer. Manuscripts, artwork, and personal memorabilia drawn from the Brantwood and Ruskin Library collections add depth to this sensitive portrait. (48 minutes)