Description
This talk will examine botanical designs within architecture, as explored and lauded by John Ruskin, using both Oxford and Venice as examples. Then, through an exploration of the natural world as found within innovative 19th century architectural projects, we will consider what the aesthetic and social benefits of Ruskin’s ideas were understood to be in their day. Finally, we will evaluate how an elemental and ecological aesthetic may benefit us in our built landscape today.
Madeleine Emerald Thiele is an art historian, international lecturer. She is the Director and founder of Visual Theology. Her recent publications include John Ruskin, the Pre-Raphaelites, and Religious Imagination: Sacre Conversazioni (2023); and Transforming Christian Thought in the Visual Arts (2021).
