534 POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



embryonic art. In doing this our special aim will be to describe 

 and explain childish characteristics. This, again, will compel us 

 to go to some extent into the early forms of observation and im- 

 agination. It will be found, I think, that the first crude drawings 

 are valuable as throwing light on the workings of children's minds 

 Perhaps, indeed, it may turn out that these spontaneous efforts of 

 the childish hand to figure objects are for the psychologist a 

 medium of expression of the whole of child-nature hardly less 

 instructive than that of early speech. 



In carrying out our investigation of children's drawings 

 we shall need to make a somewhat full reference to the re- 

 lated phenomena, the drawings of modern savages and those 

 of early art. While important points of difference will dis- 

 close themselves, the resemblances are important enough to 

 make a comparison not only profitable but almost indispens- 

 able. 



I have thought it best to narrow the range of the inquiry by 

 keeping to delineations of the human figure and of animals, espe- 

 cially the horse. These are the favorite topics of the child's 

 pencil, and examples of them are easily obtainable. 



As far as possible I have sought spontaneous drawings of quite 

 young children viz., from between two and three to about six.* 

 In a strict sense, of course, no child's drawing is absolutely spon- 

 taneous and independent of external stimulus and guidance. 

 The first attempts to manage the pencil are commonly aided by 

 the mother, who, moreover, is wont to present a model drawing, 

 and, what is even more important at this early stage, to supply 

 model movements of the arm and hand. In most cases, too, there 

 is some slight amount of critical inspection, as when she asks, 

 " Where is papa's nose ? " " Where is doggie's tail ? " Yet per- 

 fect spontaniety, even if obtainable, is not necessary here. The 

 drawings of men and quadrupeds of a child of five and later dis- 

 close plainly enough the childish fashion, even though there has 

 been some slight amount of elementary instruction. Hence I 

 have not hesitated to make use of drawings sent me by kinder- 

 garten teachers. I may add that I have used by preference 

 the drawings executed by children in elementary schools, as 

 these appear to illustrate the childish manner with less of 

 parental interference than is wont to be present in a cultured 

 home. 



A child's drawing begins with a free, aimless swing of the 

 pencil to and fro, which movements produce a chaos of slightly 

 curved lines. These movements are purely spontaneous, or, if 

 imitative, are so only in the sense that they follow at a consider- 



* Only a few drawings of older children above seven have been included. 



