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John Ruskin
The most prominent art critic during the Victorian era was John Ruskin, who published two major works on architecture in addition to numerous lectures on the subject. For Ruskin, architecture was not merely a building, but a work of art, and should be treated as such. This distinction was defined by the emotion the architect put into the building. This carried on in his opinions on architectural style. Ruskin encouraged the Gothic style of architecture, which he believed had the most emotion, and discouraged the classical style, believing the focus on proportion stifled its emotional impact. Perhaps most important to Ruskin was the idea that architecture could inspire action and ultimately change society. Ruskin’s ideas, while popular, were also criticized by architect Robert Kerr, who objected to Ruskin’s anti-professional view of architecture. Nevertheless Ruskin was so influential that some buildings were said to be ‘Ruskinian’ in nature ; Ruskin was also able to shine light on lesser known artists and designers to sway trends.