Criticism to The Intellectualistic Theory of H.Eng Concerning Infants' Head-Feet Expression Forms

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to clarify The Intellectualistic Theory and the surrounding problems in the frame of the forming 'art' efucation in childhood through research into infants' drawing focusing on head-feet expression forms which can be observed in the initial character expression. In this paper, the focus is applied to H.Eng. Eng took the standpoint of the intellectualistic theory, which insints "Children do not draw as they see but draw what they know" and he explained an initial structure of head-feet expression forms by the theory. Although a lot of researchers who insisted on the intellectualistic theory exist from the beginning of the 20th century, only Luquet and Eng stated it in background of specific infant run case studies. Nobody has stated like this since then. However, the opinion concerning head-feet expression forms of Luquet and Eng differs definitely. Therefore, it is necessary to reexamine the intellectualistic theory of Eng for its research characteristic. Eng's research, which is given critical consideration by this paper, is the one that his niece Margrethe was selected as the person for the observation, the first edition in English translation was published in 1931. The part concerning head-feet expression forms and the intellectualistic theory is excerpted and is reexamined.