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  THE 
  FACT 
  OF 
  BEAUTY 
  

  

  In 
  our 
  aesthetic 
  emotion 
  there 
  is 
  a 
  physiological 
  factor 
  of 
  sensory 
  

   thrill. 
  Pleasant 
  eurhythmic 
  processes 
  are 
  set 
  up 
  within 
  us, 
  a 
  

   bodily 
  resonance. 
  But 
  it 
  is 
  a 
  thoroughly 
  mind-and-body 
  or 
  organ- 
  

   ismal 
  feeling. 
  There 
  is 
  a 
  psychological 
  factor 
  or 
  perceptual 
  re- 
  

   sponse. 
  We 
  project 
  ourselves 
  into 
  the 
  object 
  whose 
  'form' 
  (in 
  

   the 
  widest 
  sense) 
  is 
  significant 
  for 
  us 
  and 
  embodies 
  our 
  feeling. 
  

   We 
  cannot, 
  except 
  abstractly, 
  separate 
  off 
  ' 
  mere 
  sensation 
  ' 
  or 
  

   ' 
  pure 
  perception 
  ' 
  it 
  is 
  the 
  whole 
  organism's 
  concern 
  and 
  it 
  

   seems 
  very 
  difficult 
  to 
  dissociate 
  from 
  our 
  aasthetic 
  delight 
  the 
  in- 
  

   fluence 
  of 
  certain 
  concepts. 
  Thus 
  the 
  physiologist, 
  Sir 
  John 
  Bur- 
  

   don 
  Sanderson, 
  maintained 
  that 
  an 
  appreciation 
  of 
  adaptiveness 
  

   bulks 
  largely 
  in 
  our 
  aesthetic 
  enjoyment 
  of 
  animal 
  form 
  and 
  struc- 
  

   ture. 
  Similarly, 
  symbolism 
  may 
  contribute 
  its 
  inextricable 
  influence; 
  

   or 
  we 
  may 
  discern 
  the 
  touch 
  of 
  the 
  Divine 
  Artist. 
  

  

  The 
  elements 
  that 
  make 
  up 
  the 
  impression 
  we 
  call 
  visual 
  beauty 
  

   are 
  arrangements 
  and 
  combinations 
  of 
  lines 
  and 
  colours, 
  and 
  a 
  

   pre-condition 
  of 
  the 
  beautiful 
  is 
  some 
  quality 
  of 
  satisfactoriness 
  in 
  

   this 
  pattern. 
  In 
  the 
  case 
  of 
  animals, 
  and 
  somewhat 
  apart, 
  pleasing 
  

   movements 
  may 
  be 
  added 
  to 
  the 
  presentation. 
  But 
  the 
  big 
  fact 
  

   is 
  that 
  the 
  stamp 
  or 
  halo 
  of 
  beauty 
  is 
  on 
  every 
  free 
  individuality, 
  

   and 
  if 
  the 
  straight 
  lines 
  and 
  the 
  curves, 
  the 
  patterns, 
  the 
  colours, 
  

   and 
  the 
  apportionment 
  of 
  the 
  colours 
  be 
  expressions 
  of 
  normal 
  vital 
  

   processes, 
  and 
  so 
  with 
  rhythmic 
  movements, 
  it 
  becomes 
  easier 
  to 
  

   understand 
  why 
  they 
  should 
  appeal 
  in 
  a 
  pleasant 
  way 
  to 
  whole- 
  

   some 
  sensoria 
  with 
  the 
  requisite 
  freedom 
  of 
  response. 
  

  

  The 
  question 
  inevitably 
  arises 
  whether 
  these 
  combinations 
  of 
  

   lines 
  and 
  colours 
  which 
  mean 
  so 
  much 
  to 
  us 
  mean 
  anything 
  to 
  

   their 
  possessors. 
  

  

  (a) 
  There 
  is 
  no 
  doubt 
  that 
  the 
  ' 
  beauty 
  ' 
  has 
  in 
  some 
  cases 
  direct 
  

   utility 
  to 
  the 
  organism. 
  For 
  beauty 
  of 
  pattern 
  often 
  spells 
  stable 
  

   architecture, 
  beauty 
  of 
  line 
  is 
  often 
  the 
  expression 
  of 
  strength 
  and 
  

   agility, 
  and 
  beauty 
  of 
  colouring 
  often 
  means 
  a 
  life-saving 
  garment 
  

   of 
  invisibility. 
  And 
  there 
  are 
  other 
  uses. 
  

  

  (b) 
  In 
  many 
  cases 
  the 
  ' 
  beauty 
  ' 
  has 
  vital 
  significance 
  though 
  

   it 
  cannot 
  be 
  called 
  in 
  itself 
  useful. 
  Thus 
  a 
  pleasing 
  succession 
  

   of 
  concentric 
  lines 
  may 
  represent 
  the 
  ripple-marks 
  of 
  orderly 
  rhyth- 
  

   mic 
  growth. 
  

  

  (c) 
  In 
  many 
  cases, 
  however, 
  the 
  beautiful 
  seems 
  to 
  be 
  accessory, 
  

   without 
  utility 
  either 
  direct 
  or 
  indirect. 
  The 
  lines 
  and 
  colours 
  are 
  

   harmonious, 
  probably 
  because 
  they 
  are 
  the 
  expressions 
  of 
  unified 
  

   viable 
  individualities 
  which 
  have 
  stood 
  the 
  test 
  of 
  time. 
  The 
  

  

  