Conversation so far:
What was Modern Painters I?
Modern Painters I is the first volume of a five-volume work by the eminent Victorian art critic, John Ruskin, begun when he was 24 years old.
What was the outcome of Modern Painters by John Ruskin?
The outcome was that Modern Painters II belies its title and exalts the ‘great men of old time’.
Was there a second volume of Modern Painters by John Ruskin?
There are a total of five volumes.

Question: What was it about?
Self-contained rewrite: What was Modern Painters about?