Lunchtime Lecture: Ruskin and the Idea of the Museum

John Ruskin, the leading art and social critic of the Victorian era, was a passionate advocate of the value of museums: he created his own museum for working people in Sheffield and held strong views on national institutions such as the V&A. “The right function of every museum”, he wrote, “is the manifestation of what is lovely in the life of Nature, and heroic in the life of Men.” In this lecture Dr Tristram Hunt, Director of the V&A, will explore the ideas and values represented by museums in Ruskin’s writings, and reflect on the changing role of museums in the 21st century.

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