Examples of Architecture of Venice - Stilted Archivolts of a Byzantine Ruin in the Rio di Ca' Foscari1887 Accession number: 1920P667 Tinted lithograph on paper. Width: 640 mm Height: 434 mm Information'Examples of the Architecture of Venice' was a folio of plates first published in 1851 in connection with Ruskin's book on Venetian architecture, 'The Stones of Venice.' The preface to the folio explains that: ' Mr Ruskin has found it impossible to reduce to the size of an octavo volume all the sketches made to illustrate his intended Essay on Venetian architecture; at least, without loss of accuracy in detail: he has thought it better to separate some of the plates from the text, than either to throw the latter into a folio form, or diminish the fidelity of the drawings.' Ruskin selected 16 of his drawings of architectural details to be published as plates in a large format folio each accompanied by an explanatory text. This is one of three plates depicting various views of a Byzantine ruin in Venice. Unlike the previous plate (1920P666) this one shows the modern elements of the building alongside the 'ancient portions.' He assured his readers that he had 'drawn the central arch ... exactly as it appeared in 1849' and informed them that is was 'a beautifully picturesque fragment.' An archivolt is the decorated band or moulding which follows the curved underside of an arch.
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