THE YOUNG DRAUGHTSMAN. 



545 



cially by female attire, as may be seen iu the accompanying draw- 

 ing, wbere the dots for buttons on each oval seem to show that 

 the body is signified (Fig. 16, c; cf. Fig. 7, c).* This, along with 

 the triangular cape-shape of the trunk, is one of the few illus- 

 trations of the effect of dress on the first childish treatment of 

 the figure. As a rule, this primitive art is a study of Nature 

 in so far as the artificial adjuncts of dress are ignored, and the 

 rounded forms of the body are, though crudely enough, no doubt, 

 hinted at. 



Coming now to the arms, we find that their introduction is 

 very uncertain. To the child, as also to the savage, the arms are 

 what the Germans call a Nebensache side matter (i. e., figura- 

 tively as well as literally) and are omitted in rather more than 



Fig. 16. 



Fig. 17. 



one case out of two. After all, the divine portion, the head, can 

 be supported very well without their help. 



The arms, as well as the legs, being the thin, lanky members, 

 are commonly represented by lines. The same thing is noticeable 

 in the drawings of savages, f The arms appear in the front view 

 of the figure as stretched out horizontally, or at least reaching 

 out from the sides ; and their appearance always gives a certain 

 liveliness to the figure, an air of joyous self-proclamation, as if 

 they said in their gesture language, " Here I am ! " (see Fig. 5, a, 

 and the accompanying drawing of a boy of six. Fig. 17). 



In respect of shape and structure a process of evolution may 

 be observed. In certain cases the abstract linear representation 

 gives place to contour, the arm being drawn of a certain thick- 

 ness. But I find that ths linear represenation of the arm often 



* On the other hand, I find the button dots sometimes omitted in the lower oval 

 f For examples, see Andree, op. cit., plate 3 

 Brazilians. 



VOL. XLTIII. 39 



Cf. the drawings of den Steinen's 



