John Ruskin 
Giotto and his works in Padua 
An Explanatory Notice of the Series of Woodcuts Executed for the Arundel Society After the Frescoes in the Arena Chapel

The book is a biography of Giotto di Bondone, an Italian painter and architect from Florence during the Late Middle Ages. He was a prominent figure in the Gothic/Proto-Renaissance period and is considered by many to be the father of modern painting. His contemporaries praised him for his ability to draw figures and postures according to nature, and his talent and excellence were widely recognized. Giorgio Vasari described Giotto as the artist who initiated the great art of painting as we know it today, breaking with the prevalent Byzantine style and reintroducing the technique of drawing accurately from life that had been neglected for more than two hundred years. The biography explores Giotto’s life and work, providing insight into his artistic techniques and impact on the art world.