In examining alongside the central core of Ruskins own drawings those made by artists who were his mentors, friends and followers, this book also aims to give an account of the wider phenomenon which might be called Ruskinism.

This important book accompanies the major exhibition of the same name, opening at the Ashmolean Museum on 16 September 2010 - the first to explore the fascination of the Pre-Raphaelite painters with Italy: its landscape, art and culture.

Covering the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood in the broadest sense, from its foundation in 1848 to the second generation (including Burne-Jones and Crane), it also includes the works of a group of English artists known as the Etruscans, who were followers of the Italian painter Giovanni Costa.

Ruskin, whose awareness of Italy was both imaginative and visceral, and who made numerous trips to Italy throughout his life, emerges as a key influence on the relationship of the Pre-Raphaelite painters to Italian culture. Ruskin's own drawings provide a personal record of his engagement with the places he visited.

This volume does not simply function as a guide to the exhibition, but can be read on its own as a title which explores the relationship of the Pre-Raphaelite brothers to Italy and to each other in a fresh and original way. It looks at what being in the Brotherhood meant to its members, and what the public understood by it.

Featuring a significant number of works from private collections not previously reproduced, The Pre-Raphaelites and Italy is essential reading for all students of 19th-century art and culture.

On November 11, 1878, Rossetti wrote to Watts-Dunton: `Friday night exactly made a year since my return to London in 1877 & you know how well I have been the whole of that time.' Indeed, in 1878-79, Rossetti lived what might appear to be a more tranquil version of his first years at Cheyne Walk. The long breach with Ford Madox Brown finally ended, and he began to see his brother regularly again; and he managed to complete a number of commissions, and other paintings. However, as the correspondence collected here show, his depression was seldom far away; he was often unable to work. His repeated letters to Watts-Dunton and Shields, asking them to come over, reveal his need for companionship, preferably in his own home, that was a constant of his character. There are also a number of letters to Jane Morris.

This catalogue accompanies the first retrospective exhibition of Alfred William Hunt's work for more than one hundred years. It includes essays on his life and work, and on his role in the history of the Victorian landscape watercolour. Each exhibit is fully discussed and illustrated in colour and an appendix includes an inventory of the contents of Hunt's studio, including 225 sketchbooks, given to the Ashmolean Museum by his daughters.

This authoritative and lavishly illustrated book explores a key theme within Victorian art and highlights an aspect of Pre-Raphaelitism that is often overlooked. Published to accompany a major touring exhibition Pre-Raphaelitie Vision: Truth to Nature is the first new study of landscape in Pre-Raphaelite painting for many years. It is an essential addition to the library of all those interested in Pre-Raphaelitism and the English landscape tradition.