ABSTRACT
Art - in other words the search for the beautiful and the perfecting of truth, in his own person, in his wife and children, in his ideas, in what he says, does and produces - such is the final evolution of the worker, the phase which is destined to bring the Circle of Nature to a glorious close. When one writes the social history of art, it is easier to define what methods to avoid than propose a set of methods for systematic use, like a carpenter presenting his bag of tools, or a philosopher his premises. Art is autonomous in relation to other historical events and processes, though the grounds of that autonomy alter. For the artist, inventing, affronting, satisfying, defying his public is an integral part of the act of creation. Jokes resemble art, certain Freudians have suggested, in their treatment of unconscious material; perhaps in their treatment of historical material too.
