Art History in Discipline-Based Art Education

Abstract

Students should be introducced to art history in the primary schools, and, after that, art history should constitute part of the core curriculum of secondary schools. Indeed, art history is already offered by a number of high schools in this country and in some cases has been offered by them for a number of years because of its continued success and relevance as a subject for instruction. Why is this true? First, art history is a discipline worthy of instruction in its own right, regardless of whether art production, art criticism, and aesthetics are included in the curriculum. Art history, the practice of art, art criticism, and aesthetics are distinct subjects that stand on their own pedagogically and that contribute significantly to education in different ways. Art history constitutes an integral part of the humanistic training of children; art production, an integral part of their creative and imaginative training and development; art criticism, an integral part of the training of their critical faculties in dealing with the arts; and aesthetics, an integral part of the development of their philosophic outlook about the arts. Because of the mutuality and interdependence of art history, art production, art criticism, and aesthetics, all four disciplines ought to be included in the core curricula of our public schools. Why art history? Human beings and human values lie at the heart of all subject areas currently required in our core curricula. The sciences in-