European Influences on the Theory and Philosophy of Viktor Lowenfeld

Abstract

While most art educators are familiar with Viktor Lowenfeld's theory and philosophy of art education, they may not be aware that the foundation of his ideas came from a rich European heritage of educational thought, research, and practice. This paper surveys the work of art theorists, art educators, psychologists, and anthropologists who were predecessors or contemporaries of Lowenfeld and discusses how their work influenced his. The primary source for this paper is class notes taken from Lowenfeld's lectures on the history of art education at The Pennsylvania State University in 1957. Its major focus is on Friedrich Froebel, James Sully, Franz Cizek, Siegfried Levinstein, Max Ver worn, Walter Krotzsch, George Luquet, and Karl Buhler.