Ruskin, John - The Seven Lamps of Architecture - Vellum 6th Edition (1889)

RUSKIN, John

The Seven Lamps of Architecture

Orpington, Kent: George Allen, 1889. Sixth edition. With illustrations drawn by the author.

Octavo, bound in vellum, gilt borders to front and rear boards, spine lettered and decorated in gilt and black, marbled endpapers, top edge gilt. Fourteen plates present.

Ruskin's influential study of Gothic architecture, first published in 1849 and setting out the seven guiding principles, or "lamps," he held architecture should be built on: sacrifice, truth, power, beauty, life, memory, and obedience. The book was central to the Victorian Gothic Revival and remains one of the foundational texts of nineteenth century architectural criticism, illustrated throughout with Ruskin's own drawings of Gothic detail drawn from buildings in England, France, and Italy.

Vellum boards lightly scuffed from ordinary handling, with some loss to the black lettering and decoration on the spine where the gilt and black finish has scuffed away in small areas. Boards otherwise clean, gilt border tooling intact and legible. Square text block, hinges strong and tight. Internally clean throughout, with no foxing or age discolouration to the text block generally; occasional light foxing confined to the fore edge only, none to the top or rear edges. A newspaper clipping from 1978 is laid in loosely between pages 84 and 85, having left light smudging to both pages from long term storage, not affecting legibility. All fourteen plates present and complete.

A sound sixth edition of Ruskin's Seven Lamps in its original vellum binding, with only minor wear to the spine finish and light, well confined marking internally.