This is one of the oldest theories about the origin of art, which began with ancient Greek philosophers. According to this theory, imitation is the inherent essence and instinct of human beings, and art originates from human imitation of nature. In the eyes of ancient Greek philosophers, all art is the product of imitation.

2. Game theory

According to the game theory, art originates from the game, which is an influential theory. In the theory of art occurrence, including art, its representatives are the famous German aesthetician Schiller and the British scholar Spencer, so people also call it the game "Schiller-Spencer theory".

3. Performance theory

According to this theory, art originates from the need of human beings to express and communicate emotions, and emotional expression is the most important function of art and the main motive force for the occurrence of art. This theory is mainly held by British poet Shelley, Russian writer lev tolstoy and some modern and contemporary aestheticians in Europe and Britain.

4. Witchcraft theory

Witchcraft theory is the most influential and powerful viewpoint in the western theory on the origin of art, which is put forward on the basis of directly studying the relationship between primitive works of art and primitive religious witchcraft activities. It was first proposed by Taylor, a famous British anthropologist, in his book Primitive Culture.

This view explains the origin of art with practicality, and holds that primitive art has great practical and utilitarian value in the minds of primitive people.

5, labor theory

People think that art originated from labor. Representative figures: Bisell, Chilon, Max de Sue, plekhanov. Correct: First of all, labor is the main object of primitive art. Secondly, prehistoric art left many traces in the content and form of labor production activities. However, it is somewhat simple to pay too much attention to the direct relationship between labor and art.

Baidu encyclopedia-the origin of art