John Ruskin 
Seven Lamps of Architecture [PDF ebook] 

Whilst the greatest effort has been made to ensure the quality of this text, due to the historical nature of this content, in some rare cases there may be minor issues with legibility. John Ruskin, the man whom Leo Tolstoy named as one of the most remarkable among the men in his generation and of all countries and times, allowed the republication one of his acclaimed and influential works, <i>Lectures on Architecture and Painting; The Study of Architecture</i> in 1883. This is despite the fact that, according to him, the buildings it describes with so much delight being now either knocked down, or scraped and patched up into smugness and smoothness more tragic than uttermost ruin.<br><br>The author’s writing style is formal, with a hint of superfluity. Despite this, his messages come through clearly and wrapped in his own unmistakable personality, beliefs, and firm grasp of artistic and architectural principles. <br><br>Ruskin discusses the 7 requirements that need to be fulfilled in order for an architectural work to be considered good, dedicating a whole chapter to each of them, starting with sacrifice, then proceeding to talk about truth, power, beauty, life, memory, and obedience. <br><br>He infuses his love and admiration for Gothic architecture in this volume, stating that it is the truest architecture – something that is echoed by the author’s earlier argument that the artist’s chief role is revealing truth to nature.<br><br><i>Lectures on Architecture and Painting; The Study of Architecture</i> includes 15 beautiful prints produced by the author’s own hand. This is one tome that architectural students, professionals, and hobbyists will find mentally stimulating and creatively inspiring.