Abstract
This study focuses on discourses and events related to art education, particularly in Nagano Prefecture, from the late Meiji to the early Showa periods. It examines the discourses surrounding “free drawing education (jiyuga kyoiku)” and its proponents, analyzing the characteristics of these discussions and the shifts in their advocates over time. The findings reveal that recurring theories on “free drawing education” share common traits:, such as rejecting copy drawing (ringa) in favor of sketching (shasei) and imaginative drawing (sozoga). However, the primary advocates transitioned from educational theorists to art specialists over time. Furthermore, while the Shirakaba teachersʼ theories and Yamamoto Kanaeʼs perspectives were grounded in artistic philosophy, their fundamental views of art differed significantly differed. Finally, Yamamotoʼs advocacy for “free drawing education” is concluded to have created a framework in which where teachers, as amateur artists, became central figures in art education.
