In 1870 a collection of plaster casts after the antique was placed in a Boston public school. It was intended to serve as an experiment to improve the aesthetic taste of the nations youth. To understand the significance of these casts as inspirational objects and instructive teaching aids, it was necessary to view them within their proper historical and social context. / This historical study investigated the role of art education as an institution among other social institutions in nineteenth-century North American society. It includes a review of the underlying ideals, values, beliefs, and attitudes that motivated human behavior in and out of schools as they related to the educational value of plaster casts. / The study begins with the introduction of plaster casts in colonial America and traces the complex ideological, social, and cultural forces which led to their introduction into the school systems between 1870 and 1900. The research reveals that of particular relevance and importance were the development of professional art academics, the introduction of the concept of the art "museum" designed to improve public taste and disseminate "culture", and a recognized need to improve the aesthetic environment of the public schools. / The dissertation also demonstrates that plaster casts were associated with the education of the whole person and the visual mode of knowing, as well as, the comprehension of civilization. The results were a recognized need to educate the producer and consumer of art through the study of aesthetics, art history, art criticism, and art production. Almost one hundred years later these disciplines have once again become the major trend in art education curriculum reform. / The dissertation fills a gap in the history of art education left by writers such as Logan and Wygant, placing the introduction of plaster casts in public schools alongside the official introduction of drawing which occurred one year later. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 49-08, Section: A, page: 2077. / Major Professor: Betty Jo Troeger. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1988.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_77828 |
| Contributors | McNutt, James Kelley., Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text |
| Format | 209 p. |
| Rights | On campus use only. |
| Relation | Dissertation Abstracts International |
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