The Seven Lamps of Architecture

The Seven Lamps of Architecture by John Ruskin A classic work by the great Victorian expresses his deepest convictions about the nature and role of architecture and its aesthetics. Though Ruskin himself later called it "a wretched rant", this book really paved the way for modern architectural history and criticism, laying down criteria by which to judge buildings which were not simply those of Vitruvius or Alberti dressed up in 18th-centtury tasteful finery. He puts forward an eloquent case, among other things for the preservation of historic buildings. This edition includes reproductions of the 14 original plates of Ruskin's superb drawings of architectural details from such structures as the Doge's Palace in Venice to the Cathedral of Rouen. We are delighted to publish this classic book as part of our extensive Classic Library collection. Many of the books in our collection have been out of print for decades, and therefore have not been accessible to the general public. The aim of our publishing program is to facilitate rapid access to this vast reservoir of literature, and our view is that this is a significant literary work, which deserves to be brought back into print after many decades. The contents of the vast majority of titles in the Classic Library have been scanned from the original works. To ensure a high quality product, each title has been meticulously hand curated by our staff. Our philosophy has been guided by a desire to provide the reader with a book that is as close as possible to ownership of the original work. We hope that you will enjoy this wonderful classic work, and that for you it becomes an enriching experience.