Book Description
Classic work by the great Victorian expresses his deepest convictions about the nature and role of architecture and its aesthetics. This authoritative 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.
Customer Reviews:
rip off.......2004-02-12
The kessinger edition of this book is a rip off!!! do not buy it!!!
i received a copy in which the margins on the pages were 2 inches all around and the text was so small. everything seemed to be copied with a fax machine, so there was lots of tiny black dots all over the pages. the images are so unclear. they were black and white with no grayscales and it was so hard to make out what the images were. i returned this book for a refund.
buy the dover edition instead. its practically the same text except the text fills up the whole page and the pictures are clear. its also less than half the price of the kessinger edition.
Be forewarned: Unashamed moralizing and aesthetic certainty.......2003-06-28
If you are looking for a "practical guide to the
structures and tools" of architecture, this is NOT
your book nor your guide.
For John Ruskin is an art critic, classicist, and
moralizing aesthetic prophet. He is not an "art for art's
sake" temporizer or relativist. He not only knows what
HE believes...but he believes he knows what YOU should
believe too. If that makes you uncomfortable or makes
you feel hampered, you might want to pass him by until
you feel you can accommodate the "insult" and "restrictions"
on your "free will choices." Otherwise, there is much of
beauty, wonder, and insight to be gained in these pages.
Ruskin's point of view is that of a classical Platonist
mixed with the moralizing tenor of an exhorting (but not
shrilly so) prophet toward beauty, Truth, and clarity of
vision...and moral purpose in Art. He also has a wondrous
prose style which is both clear, compelling, and entrancing.
This edition published by Dover as a reprint is of the
second edition of the work from 1880. It also includes
14 plates of drawings which Ruskin did to illustrate the
points which he makes in the text.
Along the way, Ruskin includes shortened Aphorisms
in the margin which restate the bold face print points
which he is making in the text. In Chapter 2, titled
"The Lamp of Truth," Ruskin stands forth most forcefully
and dynamically (and perhaps to the "modern," most
tendentiously) as the classical Platonic moralizer
and aesthetic apostle/prophet/priest. Though raised
a strict Protestant, Ruskin rebelled and left Christianity
for a classical Paganism based on beauty, Truth, and clarity.
Needless to say, this more than tended to alienate him
and isolate him from the mercenary, industrialized
Victorian world which was chugging along outside his
hermetically sealed temple dedicated to Truth, Beauty,
Goodness, and Clarity. Mercantilism and "practical
progress" don't exactly exalt those four princples as
the means or the goals whereby to make money and become
successful in the eyes of the world or popular opinion.
But if you want to read about Truth and Beauty and
read it through the eyes and soul of a lover of those
qualities -- and read it expressed in most beautiful
prose and style (which is both poetic and powerful),
then Ruskin and this work are clearly the choices you
should make.
This excerpt from Ruskin tied to Aphorism 29 {"The
earth is an entail, not a possession.") clearly shows
that Ruskin's vision and prophetic power extend beyond
the merely practical realm of architecture into an
all-encompassing total vision of responsibility and
reverence: "The idea of self-denial for the sake of
posterity, of practising present economy for the sake of
debtors yet unborn, of planting forests that our
descendants may live under their shade, or of raising
cities for future nations to inhabit, never, I suppose,
efficiently takes place among publicly recognized motives
of exertion. Yet these are not the less our duties; nor
is our part fitly sustained upon the earth, unless the
range of our intended and deliberate usefulness include,
not only the companions, but the successors, of our
pilgrimage. God has lent us the earth for our life; it
is a great entail. It belongs as much to those who are
to come after us, and whose names are already written in
the book of creation, as to us, and we have no right, by
any thing that we do or neglect, to involve them in
unnecessary penalties., or deprive them of benefits which
it was in our power to bequeath."
Read...enjoy...benefit...
outdated.......2003-03-06
I found that tying in human traits to different styles of architecture was not interesting at all. There is no discussion of building techniques or the practical side of architecture. This would be more for the artist that is trying to project different human feelings into the structure. If you are looking for a techincal guide to architecture this is not it.
Architecture's Most Influential Written Work.......2001-06-11
This book is the origin of virtually every theory held throughout the history of architecture. The arts and crafts movement, Frank Lloyd Wright's organicism, and Corbusier's New Architecture are just a few examples of prominent theories whose foundations lie within the pages of this book. In this book, Ruskin prescribes the essential elements required to make timeless, meaningful architecture. This manifesto is a must for any student interested in the practice and study of architecture.
Wonderful architectural moralism.......2001-03-16
Ruskin is a master in morality and architecture. This combination, which is very nineteenth-century-like, mixes Ruskin with a wonderful mastery of the English language. The Seven Lamps is a must-read for all you folks who have not yet studied architecture in all its facets.
Book Description
1898. Hillis writes in the foreword that he approaches these volumes from the viewpoint of a pastor, interested in literature as a help in the religious life, and seeking to find in these writings bread for those who are hungry, light for those who are in darkness, and life for those who walk in the shadow of death. Leaving to others the problems of literary criticism, these studies emphasize the importance of right thinking in order to right conduct and character, and the uses of great books as aids and incentives to the higher Christian life. Some of the works examined in this volume include: John Ruskin's Seven Lamps of Architecture as Interpreters of the Seven Laws of Life; George Eliot's Tito, in Romola; Hawthorne's Scarlet Letter and the Retributive Workings of Conscience; and others. See other titles by this author available from Kessinger Publishing.
Average customer rating:
- Art and Insight...
- Travesty
- The selections in this book miss the point completely
|
Selected Writings: Modern Painters/the Stones of Venice/the Seven Lamps of Architecture/Praeterita (Everyman's Library (Paper))
John Ruskin
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Book Description
For Ruskin (1819-1900), the scrutiny of art ensures moral, social and religious comprehension of humanity's relationship to the world. This selection draws on Modern Painters (1843 - 1860) and The Stones of Venice (1851-1853) to present Ruskin's conception of art and the edification it works on human understanding.
Customer Reviews:
Art and Insight..........2002-03-17
I personally came to a knowledge, reading, and
study of John Ruskin late -- only during this
past half year. Though I had come across quotes
attributed to him on various subjects, and though
I had heard mentions of him on various cultural
programs, still nothing enticed me or intrigued
me enough to follow up -- until I came upon
two quotes from him in two very provocative sources.
The first source was in the ENCYCLOPEDIA AMERICANA
(1994)in an article on "Dante Alighieri." The quote
reads: "Each age has admired Dante for different
reasons. His contemporaries and immediate successors
dwelt on his rhetorical skill and ethical content;
the early 19th century admired his "Gothic" grandeur;
modern critics have delighted in the sharpness and
variety of his imagery and the subtlety with which he
mingles suggestive allegory with realism. * * *
Ruskin, speaking surely not for his own time alone,
wrote, 'I think the central man of all the world,
as representing IN PERFECT BALANCE the imaginative,
moral, and intellectual faculties, all at their
highest, is Dante.'"
The other quote is found in Jane Ellen Harrison's
wondrous and elegant presentation of Greek myth
and ritual study -- PROLEGOMENA TO THE STUDY OF
GREEK RELIGION. 1903/1908/1922; rpt. Princeton
Univ. Press, 1991; Mythos Books. That quote from
the beginning of Chapter 1 says: "In characterizing
the genius of the Greeks, Mr. Ruskin says: 'there
is no dread in their hearts; pensiveness, amazement,
often deepest grief and desolation, but terror never.
Everlasting calm in the presence of all Fate, and
joy such as they might win, not indeed from perfect
beauty, but from beauty at perfect rest."
This Everyman edition of Ruskin's SELECTED WRITINGS
is also a must-have for one's personal library.
There are wonderful footnotes and notes in the back,
as well as a very helpful chronology. There are
also extremely insightful and helpful editorial
comments and segues within the text itself which
highlight and explain Ruskin's insights and evolving
creativity. Ruskin's writings are so extensive and
fill so many volumes, that though there may be a
few overlaps of same excerpts in various collections,
they are usually at a minimum. That is why I was
glad to purchase several different collections of
his writings -- and so far, there is more than
enough new material in each one to have made the
purchases valuable.
One of the quotes which I especially like from this
volume is this one:
"For the artist who sincerely chooses the
noblest subject will also choose chiefly to
represent what makes that subject noble,
namely, the various heroism or other noble
emotions of the persons represented. If,
instead of this, the artist seeks only to make
his picture agreeable by the composition of its
masses and colours, or by any other merely
pictorial merit, as fine drawing of limbs, it
is evident, not only that any other subject
would have answered his purpose as well, but that
he is unfit to approach the subject he has chosen,
because he cannot enter into its deepest meaning,
and therefore cannot in reality have chosen it
for that meaning." [from MODERN PAINTERS III;
p.100 in Everyman]
Travesty.......1999-10-22
This selection of Ruskin's writings fails to convey much about the passion and poetry of the man and his work. For an excellent Ruskin anthology, stick with Rosenberg's The Genius of John Ruskin.
The selections in this book miss the point completely.......1999-08-26
Althought the editor has done a fine job of selecting sections of prose writing, he has failed to include anything that may give a glimpse into the thoughts and contemplations of John Ruskin. The overall effect is that of a politically correct tippy-toe around beautifully written passages that, in light of Ruskin's depth, say nothing at all and would thouroughly have disipointed Ruskin himself.
Customer Reviews:
Straight stuff.......2003-12-20
This is an excellent book for any level watercolorist.I have read an uncommonly large number of how-to books(being self -taught) yet still found much helpful info here. In particular,her advice to avoid using tube paints that have dried, goes against info provided by every other source I have read----but I am sure she is right. You need to read her section on this subject---worth the price of the book by itself(and I am not being paid for this)!!!
Colorful!.......2000-01-07
Instructive chapters beautifully illustrated by Treman cover ideas and concepts for the beginner to the advanced watercolorist. She gives watercolor basics and gradually builds to more complex instruction (composition, importance of value, mixing colors). Especially unique to Treman is her chapter on "disappearing purple" which gives insight into new concepts of shading while still maintaining fresh clean colors.
Average customer rating:
|
A Way Into India
Raghubir Singh
Manufacturer: Phaidon Press
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India: The Definitive Images
ASIN: 0714842117 |
Book Description
Raghubir Singh (1942-99) was one of the twentieth century's finest documentary photographers. Born in Rajasthan, India, he won an international reputation, publishing over a dozen books, all on various aspects of his homeland. A Way Into India was his last great photographic project and is a testament to his love affair with the sights, sounds and colours of India, but also with one of its most unexpected icons - the Ambassador car. Continuously in production in India since 1957, the Ambassador is everywhere to be seen, in all possible guises, from delivery van to diplomatic limousine, and has become something quintessentially Indian. Travelling back and forth across the country, Raghubir Singh reveals India through the windows of the Ambassador. Among the bustle of the towns and the majesty of the countryside there are rotting cars and pristine new ones being used as taxis and poultry vans. Temples and tourists, monsoon rains, paddy fields, tea plantations and elephants are dramatically framed by the Ambassador's distinctive curves. The old and the new sit side by side, as Singh and the Ambassador show us a way into India.
Customer Reviews:
Laughing my way to enlightenment!.......2004-07-13
What a great read. This book was so much fun, I read it straight through. If you have ever been to India or are planning a trip I highly recommend this entertaining and humerous read.
Average customer rating:
|
Raghubir Singh, a Way into India.: An article from: Journeys
Shamoon Zamir
Manufacturer: Berghahn Books, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
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Release Date: 2005-07-31 |
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The way out to freedom;: An inquiry into the Quit India Movement conducted by participants
A. Moin Zaidi
Manufacturer: Orientalia (India)
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ASIN: B0006CDGOO |
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Ulli & Marquand (Warhammer)
Gordon Rennie ,
Paul Jeacock , and
Karl Kopinski
Manufacturer: Games Workshop
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ASIN: 1841542113 |
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This Is Judy Woodruff at the White House
Judy Woodruff
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ASIN: 0201088509 |
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- Journeys: Self-Discovery Through Travel
|
Journeys: Self-Discovery Through Travel
Charles M. Klotsche
Manufacturer: Pan American Press
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ASIN: 0967389003 |
Book Description
JOURNEYS SYNOPSIS
The JOURNEYS of Charles Klotsche have taken him to 52 countries on six continents over a thirty-five-year period. After a long, successful career as a real estate developer, Klotsche, the author of six books and two screenplays and an accomplished travel writer, set out to write about eleven unusual adventures that took place over three decades. His diverse, captivating chapters explore fascinating places, peoples, cultures, and events that have shaped the destiny of mankind.
JOURNEYS is a roadmap showing the great sense of purpose we as Americans have. It is a series of reflections that seek to define our heritage, primarily by placing ourselves in relation to other richer, more ancient cultures. Klotsche takes an in-depth look at the human condition, and the nature and purpose of those who live on the earth. His book also reflects the complicated journey of a man trying to find his rightful place on the planet, a man who finally comes home.
The eleven adventures, some personal, some more cultural, comment on twentieth-century society. They describe crossing over the Berlin Wall (1962); the Mardi Gras Carnival in Rio de Janeiro (1964); the physical and spiritual exertions involved in ascending to the base camp of Mount Everest (1984); the two-million animal migration in the Serengeti Game Preserve in Kenya (1986); the ancient sapphire mines of Sir Lanka (1985); the Americas Cup races in Australia (1986); the eye-opening experiences of constructing Frank Lloyd Wrights only adobe home in Sant Fe (1983-85); living aboard Howard Hughes sixty-foot, 1927 classic motor yacht in Sausalito ( 1993-96); the Cuban people trapped under the Castro regime (1995); the experience of working in Mother Teresas San Francisco home for dying AIDS patients (1996); and fishing in Alaskas Kenai Peninsula as the salmon make the run to the spawning grounds (1997).
These forays into distant lands and uncharted waters involved invigorating people and unusual events. An Introductory Chapter, Seductive Lady, looks at the motivation behind Klotsches travel adventures, and what it is like to walk away from a string of successes in the corporate world. The book then divides into six sections. The first sections two chapters explore the concept that human dignity is not always a top priority. In Brazil and Africa, Klotsche witnesses how the privileged operate through legalized inequity, and observes how human fantasies and animal hierarchies reflect the state of the world. Section two examines an enshrined institution, The Americas Cup, whose traditions have largely been eroded.
The next section explores two ancient cultures in Nepal and Sri Lanka and shows how age-old traditions hold important lessons for we who are products of a consumer society. Section four consists of pivotal chapter, Footsteps, in which Klotsche embarks on a new journey. At age 48, he leaves behind the many restrictions that are the price one pays for a successful career. In the process, he takes a hard look at the philosophical issue of quality versus quantity.
The fifth section talks about our nations ability to tolerate disobedience, which is where we started with the war of Independence, and contrasts it with totalitarianism. In Cuba, and formerly in Berlin, repression and the lack of opportunity for upward mobility go hand in hand. In Dignity, Klotsche talks about another type of deprivation, the cruelties and misfortune of those who occupy Mother Teresas home for the terminally ill and AIDS in San Francisco.
The last section delves into how we sometimes take our heritage for granted, and what we should be passing on to the next generation. In Reds, we explore the powerful journey that the Sockeye salmon make in Alaska to the spawning grounds and the insensitive, out of-sync older generations of anglers who participate. The Epilogue, Lands End, reflects on the aging process and on the price one pays for moving from a life of conformity to one of imagination and freedom; Klotsche, no longer tied to the constraints of society, now sets his won rules.
These fresh, enticing adventures reflect an individual enthralled by the idea of newness. A privileged man, Klotsche was born in a time when America was full of promise, when everything was possible. Through the vehicle of travel, he transforms his world, while searching for his countrys heritage and for a more strongly defined sense of self.
Customer Reviews:
Journeys: Self-Discovery Through Travel.......2000-04-24
Great travel experieces. I enjoyed learning about the cultural aspects of each journey and how uniquely different our world is.
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