Victorian virtues

Introduction

John Ruskin (1819-1900) was both the leading Victorian critic of art and an important critic of society. His essay Of Queen’s Gardens, published in the volume Sesame and Lilies in 1865, has been taken as an eloquent statement of the conservative ideal of Victorian womanhood. However, the essay also urges women to abandon trivial feminine pursuits in order to act as a moral force in countering the ills of society.

Please select below to view scanned pages from 'Of Queen’s Gardens’ (1864)':

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