Austrian Viktor Lowenfeld (1903–1960) was an Austrian-born professor of
art education
Visual arts education is the area of learning that is based upon the kind of art that one can see, visual arts—drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, and design in jewelry, pottery, weaving, fabrics, etc. and design applied to more practic ...
at the
Hampton Institute
Hampton University is a private, historically black, research university in Hampton, Virginia. Founded in 1868 as Hampton Agricultural and Industrial School, it was established by Black and White leaders of the American Missionary Association af ...
and the
Pennsylvania State University
The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a Public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related Land-grant university, land-grant research university with campuses and facilities throughout Pennsylvan ...
. His ideas influenced many art educators in the post-
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
United States. In particular, he emphasized "ways in which children at different stages of artistic development should be stimulated by appropriate media and themes, and ... the curriculum ... guided mainly by developmental considerations."
Biography
Born in
Linz
Linz ( , ; cs, Linec) is the capital of Upper Austria and third-largest city in Austria. In the north of the country, it is on the Danube south of the Czech border. In 2018, the population was 204,846.
In 2009, it was a European Capital of ...
,
Austria
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
, in 1903, Viktor Lowenfeld had always been drawn to the arts. Through his personal narration, Lowenfeld mentioned that he was pulling toward music at an early age – probably four or five. He started to play violin at the age of nine or ten. And because he used to play by ear, rather than reading notes, he was often called a “Gypsy.” That same year Lowenfeld started painting. This early exposure to the visual and performing arts led him to a career devoted to the practice of educating himself and the public in art.
Dr. Lowenfeld graduated from the
College of Applied Arts in
Vienna
en, Viennese
, iso_code = AT-9
, registration_plate = W
, postal_code_type = Postal code
, postal_code =
, timezone = CET
, utc_offset = +1
, timezone_DST ...
, as well as the
Academy of Fine Arts
The following is a list of notable art schools.
Accredited non-profit art and design colleges
* Adelaide Central School of Art
* Alberta College of Art and Design
* Art Academy of Cincinnati
* Art Center College of Design
* The Art Institute o ...
in the same city. He later received his doctorate in Education from the University of Vienna, and during this time served as an elementary and secondary school teacher. While in Vienna, he also served as the director of art in the Blind Institute. In 1938 Lowenfeld fled to England before arriving in the United States. He became a citizen in 1946 after serving in the Navy as a wartime visual aids consultant.
Lowenfeld joined the
Hampton Institute
Hampton University is a private, historically black, research university in Hampton, Virginia. Founded in 1868 as Hampton Agricultural and Industrial School, it was established by Black and White leaders of the American Missionary Association af ...
in Virginia in 1939 as assistant professor of Industrial Arts, studio art teacher, and later Chairman of the Art Department. In 1945 he was named curator of the distinguished collection of Black African Art at the Hampton Institute. Lowenfeld came to The Pennsylvania State University as professor of Art Education in 1946. Ten years later he became head of the newly founded Department of Art Education. He stayed in this position until his death in 1960.
Dr. Lowenfeld is well known for his Visual-Haptic theory in Art Education which was assimilated from Viennese sources. He always regarded good teaching as a dialogue, therefore his motivation and evaluations had a strong Expressionist bias. His psychological training enabled him to gain a therapeutic position in his early months in America, labeling him a “Viennese Psychologist” in Time. He was an active leader in the
National Art Education Association
The National Art Education Association (NAEA) is a non-profit professional association founded in 1947 in the United States, headquartered in Alexandria, VA. It is the world's largest professional art education association.
The NAEA's annual con ...
and The National Committee on Art Education.
According to Peter Smith, “Lowenfeld is still a name of power in American art education. Although his own death, and the deaths and retirements of his disciples, have lessened Lowenfeldian political in academia (and therefore in teacher education), his concepts go marching on.”
[Lowenfeld in a Viennese Perspective: Formative Influences for the American Art Educator, Journal of Studies in Art Education] Lowenfeld’s philosophy reached a large audience through the theories documented in his books: ''Genesis of Sculpturing'', 1932; ''Sculptures by the Blind'', 1934; ''The Nature of Creativity'', 1938; ''Creative and Mental Growth'', 1947; and ''Your Child and his Art''. He also published numerous articles on art education aesthetics, art for the handicapped, black art, and testing. He published more than one hundred articles.
Among his students was the American muralist
John T. Biggers
John Thomas Biggers (April 13, 1924 – January 25, 2001) was an African-American muralist who came to prominence after the Harlem Renaissance and toward the end of World War II. Biggers created works critical of racial and economic injustice. He ...
.
Creative and Mental Growth
Lowenfeld's 1947 ''Creative and Mental Growth'' was published and became the single most influential textbook in art education. Many elementary school teacher preparation programs used this book since it described characteristics of child art. Lowenfeld believed evidence of
aesthetic
Aesthetics, or esthetics, is a branch of philosophy that deals with the nature of beauty and taste, as well as the philosophy of art (its own area of philosophy that comes out of aesthetics). It examines aesthetic values, often expressed th ...
,
social
Social organisms, including human(s), live collectively in interacting populations. This interaction is considered social whether they are aware of it or not, and whether the exchange is voluntary or not.
Etymology
The word "social" derives from ...
,
physical
Physical may refer to:
*Physical examination
In a physical examination, medical examination, or clinical examination, a medical practitioner examines a patient for any possible medical signs or symptoms of a medical condition. It generally co ...
,
intellectual
An intellectual is a person who engages in critical thinking, research, and reflection about the reality of society, and who proposes solutions for the normative problems of society. Coming from the world of culture, either as a creator or a ...
, and
emotional
Emotions are mental states brought on by neurophysiological changes, variously associated with thoughts, feelings, behavioral responses, and a degree of pleasure or displeasure. There is currently no scientific consensus on a definition. E ...
growth is reflected in the art of children.
He further developed a theory of stages in artistic development. The stages consisted of
#scribble;
#preschematic;
#schematic;
#Dawning Realism;
#Pseudorealism; and
#Period of decision/crisis.
Lowenfeld's ideas of art as a catalyst of creativity have prompted many research dissertations in the field of
art education
Visual arts education is the area of learning that is based upon the kind of art that one can see, visual arts—drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, and design in jewelry, pottery, weaving, fabrics, etc. and design applied to more practic ...
.
The Lowenfeld Memorial Collection
Viktor Lowenfeld left behind an association of friends and followers including Edward L. Mattil who helped establish the Viktor Lowenfeld Memorial Fund. Dr. Mattil, at the time of Dr. Lowenfeld’s death, was also asked to serve as head of the Department of Art Education. The Memorial Fund was administered by a local committee composed of Elizabeth Yeager, Yar Chomicky, George Pappas, Walter C. Reid, and George S. Zoretich; and by the National Committee which included Kenneth R. Beittel, Mayo Brice, F. Louis Hoover, Edward L. Mattil, Charles M. Robertson and D. Kenneth Winebrenner. The national memorial provided moneys for research papers by eminent scholars every second year at the NAEA convention. About five such papers have been delivered. The money of the local committee was spent to purchase sculpture, trees, and plaques for a memorial garden area at
Penn State College of Education. During this drive, graduated students contributed paintings, sculptures, and drawings to the Lowenfeld Memorial Collection.
The contributions are still welcomed today. The collection which amounts to more than seventy works is located within the Arts Cottage, the Chambers Building, the Cedar Building, and the Rackley Building at the University Park Campus.
References
Bibliography
*"Lowenfeld Speaks of His Life." A lecture given at The Pennsylvania State University, Part A and B.
*Smith, P. "The Hampton Year: Lowenfeld's Forgotten Legacy," ''Journal of Art Education'', vol. 41, no. 6, 1988, 38–42.
*Smith, P. "Lowenfeld in a Viennese Perspective: Formative Influences for the American Art Educator," ''Journal of Studies in Art Education'', vol. 30, no. 2, 1989, 104–114.
External links
Answers.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lowenfeld, Viktor
American art educators
1903 births
1960 deaths
Writers from Linz
Pennsylvania State University faculty
Austrian emigrants to the United States