Publisher's Synopsis
From the INTRODUCTION. I Don't Know, But I Want To Know.
Many years ago, I began delving into the graphic and glyptic arts from various parts of the world. In 1906 I brought out my observations and the theories resulting therefrom in a preliminary work: Comparative Art. This, as far as I know, was the first attempt ever made to examine into and classify the fine arts of all races. From that time on, my wife and I have continued the study of art from a comparative standpoint in the field, in art museums, in ethnographic museums, from our own collection, from photographs and from illustrations in books. In 1918, we published a book Art and Man, * a twenty-fold enlarged and elaborated presentation of the theoretical parts of Comparative Art. The present work records once more the observations made before 1906 together with those we have made since that date; and with the addition of a few fresh deductions formulated since the publication of Art and Man.
Certain parts of this work, however, necessarily deal with prehistory or history. The data about these we have gathered as far as possible from leading authorities in their special fields. But these historical data have nothing to do with our art criticisms. These are based on what our own eyes have shown us; and from what we have seen we have drawn our own deductions and theories. In other words the observations and the criticisms are original with us and are regardless of and independent of what anyone else thinks or believes.
Some parts of this book are more elaborate than others. This comes partly from fortuitous circumstances. Some phases of art have interested us more than others and therefore we have studied them more. Material from certain places has been more accessible than material from other places. When there have been many genuine specimens available it has been possible to form a more authoritative opinion than when we have had to rely on copies or illustrations. For the best copies or photographs never give quite the vitality or flavor of the original art and all criticism based on such secondary material must be more hesitating than criticism based on original examples....
