The Ruskins in Normandy: A Tour in 1848 with Murray's Handbook
By J. G. Links
Published by John Murray: London 1968
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The Ruskins in Normandy: A Tour in 1848 with Murray's Handbook, by J.G. Links, was published by John Murray in London in 1968. This engaging historical reconstruction retraces the journey of the young art critic John Ruskin and his wife Effie through Normandy during the summer of 1848, guided by the very Murray's Handbook that shaped so many Victorian travels. Drawing on Ruskin's diaries, letters, and sketches, Links reconstructs their itinerary and experiences with warmth and precision, offering a vivid portrait of mid-nineteenth-century travel, taste, and the early formation of Ruskin's artistic and moral outlook.
Illustrated with period maps, photographs, and reproductions of Ruskin's drawings, the book juxtaposes the Ruskins' observations with modern commentary, revealing both the charm and tensions of their journey—undertaken amid the backdrop of European political unrest and personal strain in their marriage. Links's narrative blends scholarship with travel writing, evoking the landscapes and architecture that inspired one of England's greatest critics of art and society.
Beautifully produced by John Murray, The Ruskins in Normandy is both an art-historical study and a literary travelogue, appealing to readers interested in John Ruskin, Victorian art and travel, and the cultural world of nineteenth-century Europe."
