John Ruskin 
The Stones of Venice, Volume 2: Sea-Stories (Barnes & Noble Digital Library) 

This second in a three-volume series on Venetian art and architecture focuses on the Byzantine and Gothic periods. Ruskin discusses the palaces belonging to each era, along with the “nature” of the Gothic and the beautiful islands of Murano and Torcello in the Byzantine period.

About the author

John Ruskin (1819-1900) was an acclaimed English poet and artist, as well as an influential critic of art and society. He wrote on topics ranging from geology and botany to politics, architecture, art, and literature. Ruskin influenced the Gothic Revival and did much to popularize high art.