lxx bureau of american ethnology 



Fixe Arts 



The fifth group of activital plea><iires is that (^f the fine arts. 

 We have ah-eady seen that there is a group arising from a cog- 

 nition of the pleasures which are derived from metabolism; a 

 second group, called the arts of decoration, which arise from 

 the cognition of the pleasures of form; a third group, called the 

 athletic arts or the arts of sport, which arise from the cognition 

 of the pleasures of force; a fourtli group, called the arts of 

 amusement or games, which arise from the cognition of the 

 pleasures of causation. Here we have a fifth group, which we 

 call psychic arts or the fine arts, and which arise from the cogni- 

 tion of the pleasures of mind expressed in fine-art works. 



In order that we may adequately set forth the nature (if the 

 fine arts, it becomes necessary to make a fundamental classifi- 

 cation of them. 



In a former work I set forth the vicarious nature of the 

 senses of muscular effort — hearing and vision. These are the 

 senses to which apjieal is made. These arts have ])layed an 

 important role in the evolution of mankind as demotic bodies, 

 and hence they require more elaborate treatment. 



When we desire to classify the fine arts, we find well demar- 

 cated groups from the standpoint of the properties of matter in 

 the order in which these properties logically appear, from the 

 simple to the most complex. We have, first, music; second, 

 graphic art; third, drama; fourtli, romance; fifth, poetry. That 

 this is the logical order will appear when the subject is more 

 thoroughly presented. 



MUSIC 



Music is the most fundamental of the fine arts in that it 

 more fully expresses the emotions than any of the otliers, wliile 

 it is but a feeble method of expressing the intellections. This 

 cha]-acteristic is well known, and nuisic has been called the ait 

 of expressing the emotions. It further appears tliat few per- 

 sons ever learn to read the intellectual character of nuisic when 

 it is made by others or even when it is made by themselves. 

 I do not mean that they fail to read the staft' in wliicli music 

 is written, but I do mean that they fail to read the argument 



