Though The King of the Golden River is not set in a specific time or place, the story's details suggest that, like many nineteenth-century fairy tales, it takes place sometime during the Middle Ages (A.D. 700-1500). Nineteenth-century artists and writers were interested in the art and society of this period, and they often wrote stories in which the characters were wizards, friars, knights, princesses, and peasants. Ruskin himself studied and wrote extensively about medieval art and architecture, especially about the religious sentiments of medieval society. So when he wanted to create a remote and magical setting for this tale, which has an important moral lesson, he naturally incorporated characteristics of medieval culture. Many of the story's details, such as the characters' dress, occupations, and moral values, create this atmosphere. The medieval setting is made clear in the marvelous illustrations by Richard Doyle, which are contained in the...