The Elements of Drawing in Three Letters to Beginners

Ruskin, John

Published by Smith Elder and Co., London, 1857

About this Item

1857. Second edition. xxii, 359pp., 48 in-text figures by the author, and a 16-page publisher's catalogue dated November 1857. John Ruskin (1819-1900) was an English writer, philosopher, art critic and polymath. He wrote on many subjects, but is possibly best remembered today for his three-volume work 'The Stones of Venice' (1851-53). The present work is in three parts, cast in the form of letters to a student. It successively covers First Practice, Sketching from Nature, and Colour and Composition. Starting with the bare fundamentals, and using the practical method of exercises which the student performs from the very first, Ruskin instructs, advises, guides, counsels, and anticipates problems with sensitivity. The exercises become more difficult, developing greater and greater skills until Ruskin feels his reader is ready for watercolors and finally composition, which he treats in detail as to the laws of principality, repetition, continuity, curvature, radiation, contrast, interchange, consistency, and harmony. Along the way, Ruskin explains, in plain language, the artistic and craftsmanlike reasons behind his practical advice. The book is bound in the original green cloth covered boards with gold titling on the spine. The case of the book is in very good condition with shelf wear and some light soiling to the boards. The spine ends are bumped with a little bit of damage to the cloth at the top of the spine and a thin split of about 1/2" in the cloth on the top of the front and rear spine edges. The contents are tight and clean with a staining on the top and bottom edges of the front endpapers that extends at its largest point up to about 2" from the bottom edge of the fixed endpaper. There is a small stain on the bottom corner of pages 20 to 30, 54 to 96, 125 to 146, and 253 to 270. The front free endpaper has faint traces of an erased name or inscription.

Seller Inventory # gVIArt02

Bibliographic Details

• Title: The Elements of Drawing in Three Letters to Beginners
• Publisher: Smith Elder and Co., London
• Publication Date: 1857
• Language: English
• Binding: Hardback
• Edition: Second Edition
• Condition: Very Good
• Seller catalogs:
  • Art