The impact of culture on the aesthetic assessment of visual arts
cultuur + educatie 24 (2009)

Can pre-schoolers draw and paint just as well as professional artists? Or is this all in the eye of the beholder? This publication discusses the results of a Dutch replication study into the ‘U-shaped’ development in visual arts.

U-shaped development
Artworks by young children are often compared to those of artists, as both are considered original, unconventional and personal. These similarities led to Howard Gardner and Ellen Winner's theory of U shaped visual artist development. Rather than developing in a linear fashion, drawing and painting skills actually seem to decrease as children get older. A small proportion of children seem to improve again when they enter adolescence, hence the U-shape proposed by Gardner and Winner.

Replication study
In response to Gardner and Winner's theory, various empirical studies into the assessment of visual artworks have been conducted in order to either confirm or refute the notion of U-shaped development. This publication sets out the results of a replication study carried out in the Netherlands, which was based on previous studies. Individuals from various age groups and different backgrounds in terms of expertise and culture were asked to assess visual artworks by persons aged five, eight, eleven and fourteen and by adult amateur or professional artists.

U-shape is not universal
One of the conclusions of the replication study is that the U-shaped development is not universal, as the ‘eye of the beholder’ clearly plays a role. When children and adults assess artworks, there is no perceptible U shaped development. The U-shaped development only emerges when the art is evaluated by experts – and then only those from a Dutch or Turkish background. It was also concluded that the artist’s cultural background impacts the aesthetic assessment. It is recommended to take the results of this study into consideration in an educational context.

Dutch overview