Holyrood Chapel

This drawing focuses on the extensive ornamentation on the facade and entrance portal of the Holyrood Chapel in Scotland. Made in 1838, the drawing was meant to serve as historical documentation. While meticulous in its outlining of forms, this drawing only communicates the linear qualities of the building’s design. John Ruskin was a noted critic and historian as well as a proponent of the European Gothic style of the mid-12th to late 16th centuries. By his time, Gothic architecture, such as the Holyrood Chapel, had fallen into decay. Ruskin later embraced photography for its ability to rapidly and accurately capture architectural subjects.