psychoanalytic theory, perceptual theory, and perceptual delineation theory.

1. Theories of Art
Development
Paula Juliana I. Navarro
III-2 BECEd
Art by Carl D. Dalumpines 

2. Art
In the context of early childhood education,
art usually refers to the to create process
-ability or power creative
as applied to two-dimensionalexpressiveness
-characterized by originality and graphic arts
– painting, drawing, print making – and to
three-dimensional modeling arts – using
clay or play dough, creating sculptures.

3. History of Art Psychology
Heinrich Wölfflin
A Swiss art critic and historian. The earliest to integrate
psychology with art history.
His dissertation Prolegomena zu einer Psychologie der
Architektur (1886) attempted to show that architecture could
be understood from a purely psychological (as opposed to a
historical-progressivist) point of view.
Wilhelm Worringer
•Provided some of the earliest theoretical justification for
expressionist art.
•Concept of empathy – our own sense of beauty comes from being
able to relate to the specific work of art (from Lipps). Mimesis is imitation of the real world, as by re-
not an inherent urge in artistic production: that stylized art is not creating instances of human action
because of a culture's incompetence to create realistic and events or portraying objects
representations, but rather reveals a psychological need to found in nature.
represent objects in a more spiritual manner

4. John Dewey
His Art as Experience was published in 1934, and was the basis for significant
revisions in teaching practices whether in the kindergarten or in the university.
***Manuel Barkan, head of the Arts Education School of Fine and Applied Arts at
Ohio State University, was influenced by the writings of Dewey and explains in his
book, The Foundations of Art Education (1955), that the aesthetic education of
children prepares the child for a life in a complex democracy.

5. Theories of
Art Development

6. Psychoanalytic Theory
 Proposes that children’s art emerges from emotion and reflects what they feel.
 “Children draw what they feel and that their art is a reflection of deep inner emotions.”
(Cole, 1960).
 Art is an expression of the unconscious and can be interpreted to give insight into a child’s
personality or emotional state.
 The use of color, size, line, shape and space as well as the complexity of art, convey
meaning that a psychoanalyst might read.
 Use of finger paints and clay are examples of common early childhood activities that stem
from the psychoanalytic theory. These activities allow children to release emotion and
express themselves freely.

7. The reason children draw daddy so tall is
not because this is what they know, but
because they feel daddy is so powerful and
looms so large in their emotions.

8.  Sigmund Freud (Psychoanalysis) wrote a book on the artist
Leonardo da Vinci, in which Freud used Leonardo's paintings to
interrogate the artist's psyche and sexual orientation. Freud
inferred from his analysis that Leonardo da Vinci was probably
homosexual. However, the use of posthumous material to perform
psychoanalysis is controversial and furthermore, the sexual
background of Leonardo's time and Freud's are different.
Carl Jung (Analytical Psychology) collective
unconscious and archetypal imagery – The surrealist
concept of drawing imagery from dreams, and the
unconscious, stream of consciousness in writing and
painting.

10. Perceptual Theory
 Suggests that children draw what they see.
 Part of the perceptual process involves translating a three
dimensional object into a two-dimensional drawing.
 A drawing will focus on what the child perceives as the
most important features of the object because our eyes see
more than we consciously perceive.

13.  Arnheim believes that children
do not see objects as the sum
of observed parts, but that
they see wholes or total images
structured by the brain.
Perception is learned, or at
least can be improved, through
training in visual
discrimination. Thus, teachers
should try to strengthen and
improve children’s visual
perceptions by asking them to
look at and observe their
environment more closely.

14. The International Criminal Court is
accepting supporting evidence of
children's drawings of the alleged crimes
committed in Darfur.
One young artist named Aisha said: "It is very kind
to send us food, but this is Africa and we are used to
being hungry. What I ask is that you please take the
guns away from the people who are killing us."

15. Perceptual D elineation Theory
Children draw as they do, not because of any one factor, but
because of several.
One such factor is the child’s readiness including physical
development, intelligence, perceptual development, and cultural
dispositions.
A second factor is the psychological environment, in which the
child works, including the degree of threat or support, as well
as the number and intensity of rewards and punishments
present.

16. A third factor relates to how children handle information the
ability to handle details and to organize and categorize
information coming from the environment.
A final factor deals with how children’s drawings are
influenced by their ability to manipulate the art materials, as
well as their creative and inventive ability.
Advanced by June McFee.

19. Never give up
on your art!
Love,
PJ