‘Like long-distance travel, art history can provide
a different set of circumstances that allows us,
even stimulates us, to reflect on present
circumstances with clearer vision’
(Addiss, S. & Erickson, M., 1993. Art History and Education, University of
Illinois Press)
The Chester Beatty Collection as a
Teaching and Learning Resource
Aoife K eogh
Background and Process
• Positive Collaborative Process.
• Variety of educational contexts.
• Current and proposed new art history curriculum
and exam.
• Arts institution experience.
• Masters in visual art education (NCAD) research.
• Analysis of available curriculum material.
• Previous resources designed.
Artefacts Rationale
• To highlight the value of the Chester Beatty Library as a
teaching and learning site for Leaving Certificate art
history and appreciation.
• To explore the Chester Beatty collection as a valuable
source of first-hand experience and research.
• To create a student centred ‘workbook’ that promotes
critical and reflective observation.
• To provide a relevant and inclusive curriculum resource
facilitating intercultural understanding.
‘Students fundamentally meet all learning initiatives, consciously or unconsciously,
with such questions as: What does this mean to me?
or What can I use this for?’
(Illeris, K., 2008. Contemporary Theories of Learning. Routledge)
Key Skills and Learning Outcomes
‘Develop the intelligence and the creativity of students
in the significant and distinctive ways afforded by the arts’
(Arts Education Points of Alignment Report 2008)
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Vocabulary and Terminology
Technical Knowledge
Critical Visual Observation
Contextual Understanding
Appreciation
Research Skills
Personal Reflection
Synthesis and Application
National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA), The Department of
Education and Skills (DES), State examinations Commission (SEC).
Experiential Learning (Dewey 1938, Kolb & Fry 1975)
‘Occurs when carefully chosen experiences are supported by reflection, critical
analysis and synthesis.’ (Association for Experiential Education, 2011)
Question
Do you consider
Facebook
to be a book?
Why/Why not?
Analyse
Application
Consider how the
Find Giotto di Bondone
collection can
in your art history book.
influence your
Compare his use of composition,
own
colour, scale, tone, media
artwork.
and subject matter to
the work of
Jacopo Avanzi in the
Reflect
Curate
Collection.
Do you or your family or
As a class choose a
friends collect objects of
selection 10 interesting
any kind? Do you think all
artefacts from the
Research
humans have the urge to
collection. Plan and design
Count how often
collect useful, valuable,
an exhibition of these
in a day you refer to
beautiful or unusual
artworks in your
or rely on writing
objects and
school.
or text.
artefacts?
Content
Information relevant to the Leaving Certificate art curriculum and examination.
Imagery
Audience
Patronage
Period
Subject Matter
Origins
Influences
Technical
Information
Materials
Art Elements
Line
Shape
Tone
Form
Pattern
Texture
Tools
Techniques
Skills
Process
Scale
Composition
Colour
Style
Decoration
Theme
Function
Media
Format
Overview
•
•
Section I
Journey through the Chester Beatty Library
with Artefacts
The Life story of a book
Kikugawa Eizan
1806
Japan
Section II
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Early Religious Iconography
Medieval Manuscripts
The Book through the Italian Renaissance
Northern European Realism
Japanese Art and 20th Century Influence
East Asian Invention
•
•
Section III
Student tasks and Reflection
The Development of Books
Claude Monet
1876
France
Artefacts Design
Keogh, A. & King, F., 2011. In Colour, Fingal County Council
Keogh, A., 2011. Content and Incentive, NCAD
Conclusion
• Completion
• Dissemination and Access
• Continuing Professional Development (CPD)
• Workshops, Talks and Tours
‘Visual interpretation depends on the pleasure,
thrills, fascination, wonder, fear or revulsion
of the person looking at the images and then
writing about them. Successful interpretation
depends on passionate engagement with what
you see.’
(Rose, D.G., 2006. Visual Methodologies: An Introduction to the
Interpretation of Visual Materials: Sage Publications)
Contact keogha@ncad.ie or
jennys@cbl.ie