The Ducal Palace. Twentieth Capital by John Ruskin

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The Ducal Palace. Twentieth Capital

John Ruskin

Engraved by Thos. Lupton

1853

Photogravure from mezzotint of orginal watercolor

Source: Stones of Venice, volume III

[See Ruskin's text below]

Image scan and formatting by George P. Landow. Text from Internet Archive corrected against the Library Edition.

[You may use any of theis image without prior permission for any scholarly or educational purpose as long as you (1) credit the photographer and (2) link your web document to this URL or mention the appropriate URL in your print document.]

Ruskin's text accompanying the plate

This capital belongs to the twentieth shaft of the lower arcade (the method of numbering the shafts having been already stated at p. 54 of the First Volume of the text). I have chosen it for the subject of the first Plate, because it is representative of the general characters of the sculpture in the central Venetian Gothic; that Gothic which is peculiar to the city, and whose rise and degradation are coincident with those of her fortunes.

It is drawn on a large scale so that its details may be fully visible; even down to the bees which cluster on the honeycomb in the bear's mouth. The shaft is seven feet in circumference at the base, and the capital octagonal, having leaves set on the angles, and heads of animals on the sides, each with its peculiar pitey in its mouth, and its name in- scribed on the tore above; while a leaf or flower is set beneath each head, of different design on every side. The order of the animals, with the sections of mouldings and other details, will be given hereafter.

[Here reduced from 18 in. x 11 1/2 to 6 3/4 x 4 1/4.] — Library Edition XI, 318

Bibliography

Ruskin, John. Works, "The Library Edition." eds. E. T. Cook and Alexander Wedderburn. 39 vols. London: George Allen, 1903-1912.

Last modified 6 February 2011