Best Selling Books by John Ruskin

"Modern Painters - Volume IV" from John Ruskin. English art critic of the Victorian era (1819-1900).

Ruskin''s respected treatise on architectural methods and style is presented here complete, with all of the original edition''s images. Writing in the 1840s, John Ruskin set out his architectural beliefs. A man of deep religiosity, Ruskin was convinced that Gothic architecture was at the very height of beauty and achievement in building design. Even during his prime, Ruskin had opponents who felt his staunch, traditionalist take on structural architecture confining. Despite Ruskin''s views, this book acts as a well-informed and detailed history of architecture as it stood in the mid-19th century. The Seven Lamps of the title describe seven principles which Ruskin viewed should be reflected in a building: Sacrifice, Truth, Power, Beauty, Life, Memory, and Obedience. We find within this edition illustrations of the structures and flourishes which Ruskin admires most. His opinions on certain newer designs of the industrial era, and the painstaking restoration of ancient artworks, may be summed up in a single word: desecration. Despite the author''s stark views and ornate style, for its context The Seven Lamps of Architecture is a worthy edition to the library of architects and enthusiasts of design. A particular strength from a historic viewpoint is Ruskin''s discussions of the material contrasts and conflict between traditional design and newer forms, together with his sometimes apt phrasing: "Architecture is the art which so disposes and adorns the edifices raised by man...that the sight of them may contribute to his mental health, power, and pleasure."

John Ruskin, one of the most influential art critics of the 19th century, wrote more than half a million words on Venice. This is an abridged version of his opus, which still contains the essence of his original work, for those who would appreciate Venice, architecture and Ruskin''s fine writing.

This 1866 collection of essays on "Work,? "Traffic,? and "War,? begins with a preface condemning the human depletion of nature for what Ruskin saw as valueless gains. In this way, mining the ground for metals, water, and other resources parallels the work of the three lecture topics?all is done for the money. But what Ruskin wants to know is what the ultimate effect and product of their work is?

John Ruskin (8 February 1819 - 20 January 1900) was the leading English art critic of the Victorian era, as well as an art patron, draughtsman, watercolourist, a prominent social thinker and philanthropist. He wrote on subjects as varied as geology, architecture, myth, ornithology, literature, education, botany and political economy. His writing styles and literary forms were equally varied. Ruskin also penned essays and treatises, poetry and lectures, travel guides and manuals, letters and even a fairy tale. The elaborate style that characterised his earliest writing on art was later superseded by a preference for plainer language designed to communicate his ideas more effectively. In all of his writing, he emphasised the connections between nature, art and society. He also made detailed sketches and paintings of rocks, plants, birds, landscapes, and architectural structures and ornamentation. He was hugely influential in the latter half of the 19th century, and up to the First World War. After a period of relative decline, his reputation has steadily improved since the 1960s with the publication of numerous academic studies of his work. Today, his ideas and concerns are widely recognised as having anticipated interest in environmentalism, sustainability and craft. Ruskin first came to widespread attention with the first volume of Modern Painters (1843), an extended essay in defence of the work of J. M. W. Turner in which he argued that the principal role of the artist is "truth to nature". From the 1850s he championed the Pre-Raphaelites who were influenced by his ideas. His work increasingly focused on social and political issues. Unto This Last (1860, 1862) marked the shift in emphasis. In 1869, Ruskin became the first Slade Professor of Fine Art at the University of Oxford, where he established the Ruskin School of Drawing. In 1871, he began his monthly "letters to the workmen and labourers of Great Britain", published under the title Fors Clavigera (1871-1884). In the course of this complex and deeply personal work, he developed the principles underlying his ideal society. As a result, he founded the Guild of St George, an organisation that endures today.

David Carrier''s commentary reveals the complexity that lies beyond the surfaces of these highly personal narratives, and demonstrates how the concerns of the aesthete relate closely to those of philosophy, psychoanalytic theory and sociology."--BOOK JACKET.

Reproduction of the original. The Antigonos publishing house specialises in the publication of reprints of historical books. We make sure that these works are made available to the public in good condition in order to preserve their cultural heritage.

Presented here for the first time is the full text of John Ruskin''s Christmas Story and his related letters of interpretation in which he describes what he believes to be a mystic experience placing him under the guidance of the soul of his lost love, Rose La Touche.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

Volume 1-35, works. Volume 36-37, letters. Volume 38 provides an extensive bibliography of Ruskin''s writings and a catalogue of his drawings, with corrections to earlier volumes in George Allen''s Library Edition of the Works of John Ruskin. Volume 39, general index.