Comparative Art

The fundamental idea underlying this monograph is to make an examination and comparison of the fine arts of as many races as possible, and of the resemblances and differences between these arts, to see whether any new light can thereby be shed on man and his history. In other words, this is an attempt to look from an esthetic standpoint at what man has produced in the esthetic arts, and to see whether anything can be learnt about man therefrom, or to put it still differently, it is a study of art for the sake of science. A comparison of the arts of the different races of men of to-day should throw, it would seem, some light on the esthetic and mental similarities and divergences between these races. And in the same way a comparison of the arts of the races of the present with those of the arts of the races of the past should enable us, to a certain extent, to gauge the development of our early ancestors.
To carry out this idea, the author has examined, either in their homes or in museums, as many art works of as many races as possible, then studied photographs or illustrations of such objects, finally tried to cull from the statements of travelers and scientists something about the art of races from which he could see no art specimens.