ere small, and the
capacity to enjoy must have been slowly developed. Of the arts that
appeal to the eye there may be enumerated sculpture, painting, drawing,
landscape-gardening, and architecture. The pleasure from all except
the last comes from an attempt to represent nature. Architecture is
founded upon the useful, and combines the industrial and the fine arts
in one. The attempt to imitate nature is to satisfy the emotions
aroused in its contemplation.
_The Love of the Beautiful Slowly Develops_.--There must have developed
in man the desire to make a more perfect arrow-head, axe, or celt for
the efficiency of service, and later for beauty of expression. There
must early have developed an idea of good form and bright colors in
clothing. So, too, in the mixing of colors for the purpose of
expressing the emotions there gradually came about a refinement in
blending. Nor could man's attention be called constantly to the
beautiful plants and flowers, to the bright-colored stones, metals, and
gems found in the earth without developing something more than mere
curiosity concerning them. He must early have discovered the
difference between objects which aroused desire for possession and
those that did not. Ultimately he preferred a more beautifully
finished stone implement than one crudely constructed--a more beautiful
and showy flower than one that was imperfect, and likewise more
beautiful human beings than those that were crude and ugly.
The pleasure of sound manifested itself at an earlier stage than the
pleasure of form, although the degree of advancement in music varies in
different tribes. Thus the inhabitants of Africa have a much larger
capacity for recognizing and enjoying the effect of harmonious sounds
than the aborigines of America. While all nations have the faculty of
obtaining pleasure from harmonious sounds, it varies greatly, yet not
more {137} widely than between separate individuals. It may be
considered quite a universal faculty. The love of the beautiful in
form, color, and in harmonious sound, is a permanent social force, and
has much to do in the progress of civilization. Yet it is not an
essential force, for the beginnings of civilization could have been
made without it. However, it gives relief to the cold business world;
the formal association of men is softened and embellished by painting,
poetry, and music. Thus considered, it represents an important part of
the modern social
|