Lunchtime Lecture: “Infinite Variety”: John Ruskin and the Capitals of the Ducal Palace, Venice

The superb medieval carvings crowning the columns of the Ducal Palace in Venice have survived fire and flood over the centuries. They represent myriad aspects of life, love, labour, mythology and faith, and were regarded as a mirror of the universe by the people who walked past them. Sarah Quill will give an illustrated talk on the history of the capitals, and Ruskin’s engagement with them in The Stones of Venice. A trustee of the Venice in Peril Fund, she has worked between Venice and London since the early 1970s to create a photographic archive of Venetian architecture, environment and daily life.

Visit our SoundCloud channel to listen to past Lunchtime Lectures: soundcloud.com/vamuseum/sets/v-a-lunchtime-lecture-series