King of the Golden River is, in equal parts, a fairy tale, a fable, an origin myth, and a parable. A lovely story about the power of love and kindness it is sure to delight readers of all ages.

This edition is complete and unabridged featuring all of the original illustrations from two printings, and selections from several others.

It is in Venice, and in Venice only, that effectual blows can be struck at this pestilent art of the Renaissance. Destroy its claims to admiration there, and it can assert them nowhere else. This was Ruskin's war cry as he entered the now almost forgotten Battle of the Styles on the side against the school which has conducted men's inventive and constructional faculties from the Grand Canal to Gower Street.But first the reader must know the difference between right and wrong; he must find out for himself the best way of doing everything. I shall give him stones, and bricks and straw, chisels and trowels and the ground, and then ask him to build, only helping him if I find him puzzled.Unhappily, both these exciting objectives were attained only after the expenditure of nearly half-a-million words; glorious words, but too many. For fifty years, The Stones of Venice was read by all who went there and thousands who could not; the sightseers whom the city captivates today seldom have its greatest guidebook with them.It is the aim of this new edition to put a fascinating book within reach of travelers--active or armchair--with limited resources of time. Much that was superfluous has been omitted; what remains is the essence of a now very readable and portable book. It is a book for the lover of architecture, the lover of Venice, the lover of lost causes, and, perhaps above all, for the lover of fine writing.

I believe architecture must be the beginning of arts, and that the others must follow her in their time and order; and I think the prosperity of our schools of painting and sculpture, in which no one will deny the life, though many the health, depends upon that of our architecture. -- John Ruskin.
In August of 1848, John Ruskin and his new bride visited northern France, for the gifted young critic wished to write a work that would examine the essence of Gothic architecture. By the following April, the book was finished. Titled The Seven Lamps of Architecture, it was far more than a treatise on the Gothic style; instead, it elaborated Ruskin's deepest convictions of the nature and role of architecture and its aesthetics. The book was published to immediate acclaim and has since become an acknowledged classic.
The seven lamps are Sacrifice, Truth, Power, Beauty, Life, Memory, and Obedience. In delineating the relationship of these terms to architecture, Ruskin distinguishes between architecture and mere building. Architecture is an exalting discipline that must dignify and ennoble public life. It must preserve the purity of the materials it uses; and it must serve as a source of power and renewal for the society that produces it. The author expounds these and many other ideas with exceptional passion and knowledge, expressed in a masterly prose style.
Today, Ruskin's timeless observations are as relevant as they were in Victorian times, making The Seven Lamps of Architecture required reading for architects, students, and other lovers of architecture, who will find in these pages a thoughtful and inspiring approach to one of man's noblest endeavors.
This authoritative edition includes excellent reproductions of the 14 original plates of Ruskin's superb drawings of architectural details from such structures as the Doge's Palace in Venice, Giotto's Campanile in Florence, and the Cathedral of Rouen.

The richness of the Treasure Valley, high in the mountains of Stiria is lost through the evil of the owners, the two elder Black Brothers, Hans and Schwartz, who in their foolishness mistreat Southwest Wind, Esquire, who in turn floods their valley, washing away their liquid assets, and turning their valley into a dead valley of red sand. Forced into a trade other than farming, Hans and Schwartz become goldsmiths. They cruelly melt their younger brother Gluck's prize heirloom, a golden mug. This action releases the King of the Golden River for Gluck to pour out of the crucible as a finely dressed little golden dwarf. The dwarfish king offers a proposition to brothers: if someone were to climb up to the source of the Golden River high in the mountains and throw into it at least three drops of holy water, it would become, for that person only, a river of gold. That person must do it on his first and only attempt or be overwhelmed by the river to become a black stone.

John Ruskin was the most powerful and influential art critic and social commentator of the Victorian nineteenth century. A true polymath, he wrote about nature, art, architecture, politics, history, myth and much more. All of his work is characterized by a clarity of vision as unsettling and intense now as it was for his first readers.
This new selection includes wide-ranging extracts of Ruskin's texts, from the early 1840s to the late 1880s, as well as representative material from each of his major works. Modern Painters, The Stones of Venice, and Sesame and Lilies are juxtaposed with less familiar writing on science and myth. An authoritative introduction outlines Ruskin's life and thought, making it clear why his writing is still relevant today. This new edition also includes a selection of Ruskin's own illustrations.

About the Series: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the broadest spectrum of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, voluminous notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.

King of the Golden River is, in equal parts, a fairy tale, a fable, an origin myth, and a parable. A lovely story about the power of love and kindness it is sure to delight readers of all ages.

This edition is complete and unabridged featuring all of the original illustrations from two printings, and selections from several others.

Demonstrating the strength of love over evil, this fantasy fable is a classic children's story and has been brought to life by Arthur Rackham's illustrations.

First written in 1841, John Ruskin penned this classic Victorian tale for young Effie Gray. The thrilling adventure story is a triumph of English literature. An epic saga with many twists and turns, The King of the Golden River offers explanations for natural parts of life and encourages children to be curious and inquisitive. Arthur Rackham produced beautiful illustrations for the fairy tale in 1932, and his artwork is featured in this edition.

- A facsimile of William Morris's Golden-type edition of Ruskin's revolutionary work of social, art and architectural criticism about the Gothic style, a foundational inspiration to Morris

'One of the very few necessary and inevitable utterances of the century.' William Morris, in the Preface. The Nature of Gothic started life as a chapter in Ruskin's masterwork, The Stones of Venice. Ruskin came to lament the 'Frankenstein monsters' of Victorian buildings with added Gothic which 'The Stones' inspired; but despite his misgivings the original moral purpose of his writing had not fallen on stony ground. The Nature of Gothic, the last chapter of the second volume, had marked his progression from art critic to social critic; in it he found the true seam of his thought, and it was quickly recognised for the revolutionary writing it was. As Morris himself put it, The Nature of Gothic 'pointed out a new road on which the world should travel'; and in its indictment of meaningless modern labour and its celebration of medieval architecture it could be called the foundation stone of Morris's aesthetic and purpose in life. 40 years after he first read it, Morris chose Ruskin's text for one of the first books to be published at his Kelmscott Press, using his own Golden type. It is one of the summits of his career, and one of the most beautiful books ever published. Few books can so completely sum up an era. The Kelmscott Nature of Gothic encapsulates the meeting of two remarkable minds and embodies their influence in word, image and design. But more than that, Ruskin's words are increasingly relevant for our times. In this facsimile edition, the first ever made of this rare book, the reader can fully appreciate their importance and their legacy, as understood by one of the most potent visual imaginations to have worked in Britain. In this enlarged edition, essays by leading scholars, Robert Hewison (who was one of Ruskin's successors as Slade Professor of Fine Art at Oxford University), Tony Pinkney (Senior Lecturer at Lancaster University) and Robert Brownell (lecturer, stained glass maker and author of Marriage of Inconvenience) explain the importance of this book for Ruskin, for Morris and for us today.

If there is one artist, more than another, whose work it is desirable that you should examine in Florence, supposing that you care for old art at all, it is Giotto. You can, indeed, also see work of his at Assisi; but it is not likely you will stop there, to any purpose. At Padua there is much; but only of one period. At Florence, which is his birthplace, you can see pictures by him of every date, and every kind. But you had surely better see, first, what is of his best time and of the best kind. He painted very small pictures and very large-painted from the age of twelve to sixty-painted some subjects carelessly which he had lit-tle interest in-some carefully with all his heart. You would surely like, and it would certainly be wise, to see him first in his strong and earnest work, -to see a painting by him, if possible, of large size, and wrought with his full strength, and of a subject pleasing to him. And if it were, also, a subject interesting to yourself, -better still

Unto This Last is an important mid-19th century economic essay written by social critic John Ruskin. Originally published in fourt articles in the monthly journal known as Cornhill Magazine, Ruskin's essay which was highly critical of capitalist economists were in his own words, very violently criticized. Although his essay forced the publisher to stop publication of the magazine shortly thereafter, Ruskin's essay has been republished many times and is still considered to be a valuable work of economic thought. Unto This Last is highly recommended for individuals who are interested in reading an important work on social economy and also people who enjoy the works of John Ruskin.

The Elements of Drawing is a comprehensive guide to the art of drawing, written by the English art critic, writer, and artist John Ruskin. The book is divided into three parts, each of which focuses on a different aspect of drawing. Part one covers the basic principles of drawing, including the use of line, shading, and perspective. Part two delves into the more advanced techniques of drawing, such as composition, proportion, and color theory. Part three explores the relationship between art and nature, and how to create drawings that accurately represent the natural world.Throughout the book, Ruskin provides detailed instructions and examples of his own artwork, as well as insights into the creative process. He emphasizes the importance of observation and practice, and encourages readers to develop their own unique style. The Elements of Drawing is a timeless guide to the art of drawing that has been praised for its clarity, depth, and practicality. It is a must-read for anyone interested in improving their drawing skills, whether they are a beginner or an experienced artist.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.

This collection of literature attempts to compile many of the classic, timeless works that have stood the test of time and offer them at a reduced, affordable price, in an attractive volume so that everyone can enjoy them.

The memoranda which form the basis of the following Essay have been thrown together during the preparation of one of the sections of the third volume of Modern Painters. I once thought of giving them a more expanded form; but their utility, such as it may be, would probably be diminished by farther delay in their publication, more than it would be increased by greater care in their arrangement.

The Ethics of the Dust, is many of the old books which have been considered important throughout the human history. They are now extremely scarce and very expensive antique. So that this work is never forgotten we republish these books in high quality, using the original text and artwork so that they can be preserved for the present and future generations. This whole book has been reformatted, retyped and designed. These books are not made of scanned copies of their original work and hence the text is clear and readable.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it.

This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.

Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it.

This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.

Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

John Ruskin was an aesthetician, art historian, reformer and economist, who is perhaps best known for his works on social reform. One of his earliest, and most surprising works, is a fairy tale called The King of the Golden River. Ruskin wrote the story in 1841 for nineteen-year-old Euphenia Chalmers Gray, whom he married in 1848. The story is set in the ancient country of Stiria, in a beautiful and fertile valley called Treasure Valley, owned by brothers Schwartz, Hans, and Gluck. When the cruel Hans and Schwartz turn an important stranger away from their home, the valley turns to desert, leaving them penniless and desolate. It is only through Gluck's honesty and generous spirit that the valley can be revitalized. This early Victorian classic will delight both children and adults as a charming tale of goodness and love triumphing over evil. This edition is printed on premium acid-free paper and is illustrated by John C. Johansen.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it.

This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.

Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

John Ruskin was one of the most influential men of his day, and Praeterita, his autobiography, offers fascinating insights into many of the topics in which he was pre-eminent: art, architecture, J. M. W. Turner, nature, politics, and travel. This is the first major new edition since 1908, including passages excised from the original printed editions. The Introduction sets the autobiography in the context of Ruskin's life at the time of writing and discusses its fractured nature and unique style. Thorough explanatory notes illuminate the many references and allusions and the Glossary of Persons Mentioned provides a gazetteer of Ruskin's social and intellectual circle.

About the Series: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the broadest spectrum of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, voluminous notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.