Coniston Old Hall

John Ruskin was the leading art critic in the Victorian era. He was also a draughtsman, watercolourist and patron of the arts. His book Modern Painters outlined the ‘truth to nature’ philosophy that greatly influenced artists of the period, most notably the Pre-Raphaelite circle. In 1872 Ruskin moved to Brantwood, a house located on the eastern shore of Coniston Water in the Lake District. This view of Coniston Old Hall was possibly made from Ruskin’s rowing boat ‘Jumping Jenny’ or from Peel Island, which lies close to the eastern shore of the lake, south of Brantwood.