The origins of art; a psychological & sociological inquiry — A Reader’s Guide

Adornment as Signal, Not Beauty

In the excerpted chapter on adornment, Hirn directly challenges the assumption that primitive decoration aims at aesthetic pleasure. He argues that conspicuous garments, paintings, tattooings, and ornaments function primarily as marks distinguishing the adult and marriageable individual. Drawing on Westermarck's theory that clothing was invented to set off nudity rather than conceal it, Hirn contends that even 'modest' veils in societies where nudity is normal act as sexual incitements. He supports this with the observation that dresses are adopted at puberty and during feasts, reinforcing their role as signals of sexual availability.

Hirn extends this logic to all ornament: gems, ribbons, and collars, he claims, have symbolic value that concentrates the charm of the whole person. He illustrates with a modern analogy—handkerchiefs and shoes adored with 'fetichistic devotion'—to argue that the power of ornament lies not in beauty but in association. This approach systematically subordinates aesthetic categories to psychological and social functions.

Comparative Psychology vs. Intellectualist Prejudice

Hirn explicitly positions his method against what he calls 'intellectualistically prejudiced' observation. He insists that it is 'more in accordance with the principles of comparative psychology' to assume that garnitures originally served as marks of distinction rather than as beautifying objects. This methodological stance recurs throughout the excerpt: he separates the question of influence on the opposite sex from the question of positive causes (conscious or unconscious motives).

The argument proceeds by testing competing theories. Hirn cites Schurtz's claim that clothing aimed at concealing sexual differences, but reinterprets Schurtz's own evidence—such as richly embroidered cinctures of Guiana natives—as supporting the opposite conclusion: that such coverings never effectively diverted attention. This dialectical use of ethnographic data, combined with a clear theoretical framework, gives the text a rigorous, argumentative character.

The Limits of the Excerpted Argument

The available excerpt covers only a portion of one chapter, leaving the full arc of Hirn's inquiry incomplete. He mentions that the continuity of his argument would have been broken by extensive comparisons with modern aestheticians, and he notes that his conclusions were partly formulated before similar theories appeared. The preface indicates that the book includes chapters on feeling and its expression, animal display, and the art-impulse—topics not represented in the excerpt.

Readers should note that Hirn's evidence is drawn from late nineteenth-century ethnography, with references to authors such as Westermarck and Schurtz. His claims about 'primitive' societies reflect the assumptions of his era. The excerpt does not reveal how Hirn defines 'art' itself, nor does it show his treatment of non-ornamental arts like dance, song, or narrative. These gaps mean that the psychological and sociological inquiry is only partially visible in this sample.

Hirn's work rewards readers who attend to his footnotes: they contain not only corroborating examples but also acknowledgments of prior theories similar to his own. The book's structure—concentrated description, one typical example per point, and extensive reference—makes it a dense but systematic argument. Those interested in the history of aesthetic theory or early comparative psychology will find here a clear, if dated, attempt to ground art in biological and social imperatives rather than in transcendent beauty.