The Seven Lamps of Architecture
Product ID: 54253510
Ruskin's respected treatise on architectural methods and style is presented here complete, with all of the original edition's images. Written and published in the 1840s, this book sees 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 Despite Ruskin's now-outdated views, this book acts as a detailed history of architecture as it stood in the mid-19th century.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."
| Best Sellers Rank | #1,528 in Architecture Project Planning & Management |
| Dimensions | 6 x 0.3 x 9 inches |
| Isbn 10 | 1539004678 |
| Isbn 13 | 978-1539004677 |
| Item Weight | 7.4 ounces |
| Language | English |
| Print Length | 132 pages |
| Publication Date | September 21, 2016 |
| Publisher | CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform |
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Here is the outlay of the seven principles or lamps of great architecture as an art form.
A veritable tour the force of scope and insight.Indispensable background nowadays regretfully almost forgotten.1- Sacrifice – Dedication of man's craft to God, as visible proofs of man's love and obedience2- Truth – Handcrafted and honest display of materials and structure. Truth to materials and honest display of construction were bywords since the serious Gothic Revival had distanced itself from the whimsical "Gothic" of the 18th century; it had been often elaborated by Pugin and others.3- Power – Buildings should be thought of in terms of their massing and reach towards the sublimity of nature by the action of the human mind upon them and the organization of physical effort in constructing buildings.4- Beauty – Aspiration towards God expressed in ornamentation drawn from nature, his creation5- Life – Buildings should be made by human hands, so that the joy of masons and stone carvers is associated with the expressive freedom given them6- Memory – Buildings should respect the culture from which they have developed7- Obedience – Obedience to the spirit, values and cannons of and art tradition which is expert, truthful, fertile and honest. No originality for its own sake, but conforming to the finest among existing English values, in particular expressed through the "English Early Decorated" Gothic as the safest choice of style.
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Words of the Past
The Seven Lamps of ArchitectureThe Seven Lamps of Architecture, written by John Ruskin on a series of lectures use in his lectures. The book is an epic because of its' historical accounts of information given to architects in the past and continues to now and in the future. His use of the English language is superb, where the reader is lost in the beautiful words and the excellent techincal material.He emphasizes the points of good design that is dependent on a series of seven factors. He also gives example of buildings that are under discussion, the plates are not in the Kindle edition therefore the book must be bought otherwise the reader has to keep googling in order to find his examples. The examples are explained in detail.The first few pages are slightly boring, but like all good books he dives into the subject and never let up, drowning the reader is good information.SPRGreat Architecture Of The WorldBrunelleschi's Dome: How a Renaissance Genius Reinvented ArchitectureThe Picture History of Great BuildingsMathematical Excursions to the World's Great Buildings
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I see the value in Ruskin. I understand why ...
I see the value in Ruskin. I understand why we need to study him. I despised every minute of it. Also, this edition does not have drawings or photos of any of the buildings he is speaking of which makes it hard to visualize.I had to read this for class. I will not be reading it again. He is a religious crackpot who has some ideas on architecture thrown in.
User
Of good historical interest
This is a good book about architecture, even though a bit dated. Still, most of the concepts still ring true. I highly recommend a more modern work available as an e-book for $4.99, called ABODE. It contains important details about architecture, but it's an easy reading reference that anyone would enjoy, and is filled with photo images, many of them previously unpublished.ABODE (The Picture Dictionary of Home Construction and Residential Architecture)Another surprisingly good architectural study by the same author is San Francisco Easy Streets (also $4.99). it contains hundreds of stunning, original, unpublished photos of San Francisco architecture.SAN FRANCISCO EASY STREETS
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19th Century Opinions
A little dated for the current view of 19th century architecture. Too opinionated. Glad this book is no longer a required reading for architecture school.
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One Star
Pretentious nonsense
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One Star
I never receipt
User
buono
libro acquistato per redigere la tesi e mi è stato molto utile. è formato kindlee. unica pecca che però non c'entra molto con il prodotto in sé è che non amo i libri elettronici.
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Odd Production
I mean, it’s Ruskin. Always to recommend without hesitation.What I didn’t like is the publishing: left- bound and narrowly spaced text, cumbersome to focus on. Way too large format. Weird glossy cover that feels like a Tesco bag, with more than questionable aesthetic choices. Reeks of amateurish self-publishing unworthy of the content. Give me an A6 size version bound in fibrous paper, let the text breathe, use full justification print, and I’ll be more than happy.
User
Words without illustrations doesn’t communicate effectively
Expected illustrations of the words communicated relating to real life building. Architecture book without sketches, drawings, is less impactful to communicate
User
Recommended for Architecture students
100% a must for people starting to look into the industry. Sturdy book, great purchase :)
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Ruskin
Bellissimo libro
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