essing
the sensory organism, which is a phase of the former proposition,
(for what are popularly called sensual pleasures, are only particular
sensory excitements sought by a physical appetite, while this
sensory-organic activity is physically appetent also,) then the
subjects of art ought to be draw form such objects as excite a
general activity, such as field-sports, bull-fights, battles,
executions, court pageants, conflagrations, murders; and those which
most intensely excite this sensory-organic activity, by expressing
most of physical human power or suffering, such as battles,
executions, regality, murder, would afford the _highest subject_ of
Fine Art, and consequently these would be "_High Art_." But if you
propose (with the writer) that _Fine Art_ shall regard the general
happiness of man, but addressing those attributes which are
_peculiarly human_, by exciting the activity of his rational and
benevolent powers (and the writer would add, man's religious
aspirations, but omits it as sufficiently evolvable from the
proposition, and since some well-willing men cannot at present
recognize man as a religious animal), then the subject of Fine Art
should be drawn from objects which address and excite the activity of
man's rational and benevolent powers, such as:--acts of justice--of
mercy--good government--order--acts of intellect--men obviously
speaking or thinking abstract thoughts, as evinced by one speaking to
another, and looking at, or indicating, a flower, or a picture, or a
star, or by looking on the wall while speaking--or, if the scene be
from a _good_ play, or story, or another beneficent work, then not
only of men in abstract thought or meditation, but, it may be, in
simple conversation, or in passion--or a simple representation of a
person in a play or story, as of Jacques, Ferdinand, or Cordelia; or,
in real life, portraits of those who are honestly beautiful; or
expressive of innocence, happiness, benevolence, or intellectuality,
but not of gluttony, wantonness, anger, hatred, or malevolence,
unless in some cases of justifiable satire--of histrionic or historic
portraiture--landscape--natural phenomena--animals, not
_indiscriminately_--in some cases, grand or beautiful buildings, even
without figures--any scene on sea or land which induces
reflection--all subjects from such parts of history as are morally or
intellectually instructive or attractive--and therefore
pageants--battles--and _even_ executio