The archetypal image of a person in a test drawing and its role in artistic pedagogy

Abstract

Introduction. The article analyzes the general (archetypal) properties of the human figure drawing, which can be traced when studying test drawings of a large number of test subjects. Purpose setting. The studied properties of the drawing are the basis for further training in artistic drawing. Knowledge of these properties allows for an individual approach to training. Methodology and methods of the study. The test subjects who took part in this study had not previously been specifically trained to draw outside of the school course. A total of 1848 people were examined. The study used evaluation criteria from the Goodenough-Harris test. Results. During the analysis of test drawings of persons from 14 to 20 years old, a number of notable properties were revealed. In particular, significant differences between male and female drawings were identified. Formal differences in the drawings of male and female subjects that cannot be explained by gender-role stereotypes are revealed. A much more «correct» but at the same time more stereotypical character of women»s drawings was found. Men»s drawings are less «correct», but more diverse. The age dynamics of graphic features of men»s drawings shows much less close correlations. Thus, the correlation analysis shows in male drawings a relatively greater consistency of features that characterize the image of the upper limbs of the human figure. This feature is usually associated with a greater propensity for social contacts and extroverted activities. Identification of these patterns is necessary for the psychological support of art education. In particular, this study allows us to justify differences in educational approaches depending on the gender of students. The results obtained provide a scientific justification for the failure of the gender approach, in particular, in art pedagogy. Conclusions. In the course of this study, the validity of the evolutionary theory of gender by V.A. Geodakyan was confirmed. According to this theory, the male sex is more characterized by an operational function, and the female sex by a conservative function. A comparative analysis of the graphomotor skills of male and female subjects allows us to reveal this particular feature.